Jyoti Kumari, a 15-year-old girl from India, went viral after it emerged that she had cycled 1200 km from Gurugram to Bihar over eight days with her ailing father in tow.
Stuck in Gurugram due to lockdown, the tenacious girl asked her father to sit on the rear side carrier of her cycle and took him to his native place.
“Amid the gloomy situation, Jyoti suggested that we return home. I pointed out that we would not be able to find any trains or buses and my condition would not allow me to walk. She said we should get a bicycle,” her father had said.
Jyoti’s journey has become an extensive talking point even on social media where there has been talk about whether she has it in her to pursue cycling as a career.
Indian Cycling Federation chairman Onkar Singh said that she will be selected as a trainee at the state-of-the-art National Cycling Academy at the IGI Stadium complex here.
The academy, under the aegis of Sports Authority of India, is one of the most advanced facilities in Asia and has the recognition of UCI.
“We spoke to the girl this morning and we have told her that she will be called to Delhi next month as soon as the lockdown is lifted. All the expenses of her travel, lodging and other will be borne by us,” Singh said.
“She must have something in her. I think cycling down more than 1200km is not a mean job. She must be having the strength and physical endurance. We want to test it.”
“We will make her sit on the computerised cycle we have at the academy and see if she satisfies the seven or eight parameters to get selected. After that she can be among the trainees and she will not have to spend anything.”
