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Ludhiana cyclist gears up for Track World Championship in Denmark
Sekhon from Ludhiana, the only cyclist from the state to be chosen for the championship, will compete in the elimination event
A young cyclist from the city, Harshveer Sekhon, has intensified training after being selected for the Track World Championship. The championship will be held place in Denmark from October 16 to 20.
Sekhon says he has increased his cycling hours to build endurance for the competition.
Sekhon, the only athlete from the state to be chosen for the championship, will compete in the elimination event.
“I have a world ranking of 22 in the elimination event, which qualifies me to compete. I am also a reserve for the omnium event, where I hold the 25th rank nationally,” Sekhon said. This will be his first time participating in the event.
The 26-year-old completed his schooling at DAV Public School, BRS Nagar, and has a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering and a master’s in business administration from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College.
Sekhon, who started as a skater in 2004, won a gold medal at the National Skating Championship in 2018 in Visakhapatnam, and competed at the Asian Games for Skating held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018.
“Due to a lack of government support for skaters, I switched to cycling. I was my own coach and still train independently in Ludhiana. However, for this championship, I am training in Germany,” he said.
Sekhon also coaches his sister Jasmeek Kaur Sekhon, who is the only Indian girl to be part of the Astana Dewi Women’s Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) team. She is currently in Italy for a tour.
Describing his routine, Sekhon said he wakes up at 4 am and cycles for two to three hours. “With just a month left for the championship, I cycle for around 26 hours a week,” he said.
Sekhon, who aims to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics, was also selected for the Asian Games last year in the Madison event of track cycling, held in China. He won the national championship in the omnium event last December.
“I took up sports to lose weight but fell in love with cycling. My parents have supported me throughout, as cycling is an expensive sport,” the 26-year-old said.
