Himachal Pradesh riders returned from the 23rd National Mountain Bike (MTB) Championship at Mahendragiri in Odisha with an impressive haul of eight medals, with Shimla riders accounting for five of them.
In the men’s elite category, Shimla’s Ashish Sherpa delivered a strong performance in endurance and technical skills, winning two silver medals and a bronze. Another Shimla rider, Anirudh, claimed two medals in the men’s junior category in Cross-Country Olympics and Cross-Country Time Trial.
The other medallists from Himachal were Om Sharma, who won two silver medals, and Anurag Thakur, who bagged one medal. Several other Himachal riders also finished among the top 10 in fields of 50-60 competitors.
“It’s Himachal’s best performance in terms of medals at the national championship,” said Himcycling Association secretary Rohit Sharma.
The Himachal team finished 10th overall among 30 states and teams representing the Army, ITBP and Air Force.
“We couldn’t compete in the women’s section as we don’t have capable women riders yet. That pushed us down the medal table despite the impressive showing in the men’s category,” Sharma said.
Elated with his own and the team’s performance, Sherpa said Himachal riders, particularly those from high-altitude areas, could achieve even better results with government support and a proper coaching system.
“I made a trail in the forest myself about eight years ago to train. Our cycles are also very expensive, costing Rs 7-8 lakh. There are travelling expenses as well. If there’s some support, we could do a lot better,” he said.
