Why Maharashtra is going downhill in cycling

One of the oldest and most coveted national cycling races in India, the 153-km Mumbai-Pune cycle race is finally taking place on Sunday after being delayed five times since December 2011. Over 155 cyclists will race to win the race as well as the ‘King of Ghats’ title.

In the past, Mumbai, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra nurtured some of the most formidable cyclists, but today cyclists from the state are rarely seen in a leading position. Veteran cyclists from Pune and Mumbai talk to DNA about possible solutions to bring back the state’s past glory.

Shiv Chhatrapati and Dadoji Konddev awardee Kamlakar Zhende (60), who won the Mumbai-Pune race and the ‘King of Ghat’ title many times, said, “Clubs were vital to the cycling scene in the past. They held special training camps for cyclists, got sponsors, provided cycles and other facilities and managed the candidate’s entry to races. The downward spiral of local cycling began shortly after the direct entry system at district level was introduced in 1996.”

Zhende was elected treasurer of Maharashtra Cycling Association, which has been conducting the race since 1947. He added, “The attraction has reduced because the state holds very few races these days.”

Zhende said, “It is difficult to get sponsorships and road permits. My attempt will be to unite cyclists and create a motivating atmosphere again.”

Supporting Zende’s statement, national champion (2000) and Shiv Chhatrapati awardee (2005), Pankaj Marlesha (31), said, “Till 2005 at least 15 to 20 races were held in the state, whereas now we get only 7 to 8 races in the entire season. The sport is in urgent need of better organisation. Dates should be fixed, prize money increased and accommodation arranged for outstation participants.”

Delay in conducting the race affects the cyclists. The winner of the race in 2003 added, “The prolonged training causes muscles to get overworked and reduces recovery time before the next season. I skipped 3 to 4 races in hope of the Mumbai-Pune race and had to bear additional wear and tear cost of the cycle.”

Two-time winner, Kerman Framna (45), felt that lack of organisation is a result of the change in the MCA administration. “After the MCA committee was re-elected 4 to 5 years ago, things have gone bad. Back in the days, the road conditions were bad but the traffic police were capable to manage the race quite well. Today only the first bunch of cyclists gets attention while the rest are not given any respect. Several cases of truck drivers dragging cyclists have been reported. Such miscreants in the past would be spotted by pilots and disqualified. The MCA no more takes such action, despite the risk involved.”

The cyclist, who conquered the ghats in a record time of 21 minutes, added, “The race should have gone international by now. It is still possible for the race to regain its prestige. Our teams today need good clubs like Wheel Winners Club and Pune District Cycling Club that we had in our time.”

There are fewer spectators too. “When locals don’t win, people tend to lose interest. Earlier, cyclists from Mumbai and Pune wouldn’t allow outsiders to win and people used to throng on streets to watch the race. Organisers would do anything to make the race happen. Therefore delays are unfortunate and April is not the best time for the race,” said Ashok Captain (52), state champion of 1979 and two-time winner of the race.

He represented India in the championship at Italy in 1985. He felt that having role models makes a difference. “In the olden days the money wasn’t great, but the passion of cyclists and enthusiasm of spectators was brilliant. Cyclists like Ruben Solomon, Dashrath Pawar and Kamlakar Zende were our inspiration and we zealously aspired to beat them. Unlike Mumbai, in Pune, juniors and seniors all trained together; it was tough but we learnt a lot from the experience.”

According to the MCA, the international norms they follow prescribe a lower limit of 18 years and upper limit of 35 for entry into the Mumbai-Pune cycle race. However, MCA secretary Pratap Jadhav said, “We give experienced riders, who have crossed 35, special permission to participate in the race.”

Ashok Khale (67), who won the King of Ghats title twice and national championship (1979), is participating in his 28th Mumbai-Pune cycle race this year. “In the olden days, cyclists used to get scared of the ghats, but the competition today has increased a lot with participation of national level racers. The last Mumbai-Pune race was the fastest with a record time of 3 hours 43 minutes; this was a result of prior training that cyclists had undergone for the Commonwealth Games,” he said.