BENGALURU:Kiran Kumar Raju is a two-time Mountain Bike (MTB) Indian National Champion and a Super Randonneur, who was deemed the No 1 MTB cyclist in India.Kiran has been actively cycling since 2011 and has represented India at the Asian Continental Championship (2018 and 2017). His ultimate goal is to take part in the World Championship and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. In 2014, he was trying to balance his full-time job at a civil construction company while also trying to make time for his races. He finally quit his job in 2015 to pursue cycling full time.
How are you working towards the Tokyo Olympics 2020?
The first step is to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Doing well at Asian Continental Championship 2019 is a major step towards that. This event and the Asia Mountain Bike Series will not only help me qualify, but will also act as preparatory races. No Indian has represented the country in mountain biking (XCO). It will be a challenge, but the aim is to do my best.
What are some of the immediate events you are prepping up for?
My next big goal is to win gold at the Indian MTB National Championship that will be held in the last week of October in Pune. I will be participating in one of the Asian Mountain Bike Series and some club races in Australia.
As a career, how difficult is it to take up cycling?
Honestly, cycling as a career choice is not a financially viable option unless one has support from their family. However, things are changing, and we have a few riders trying to make ends meet. Another challenge, particularly in MTB, is that it is not recognised by the government for consideration in the sports quota for government jobs, as opposed to road and track cycling. Also, cycling is an expensive sport and it is difficult to ride and race at a professional level without equipment sponsorship. The races that have cash prizes are also far and few, and are conducted without pre-scheduled dates, which makes it harder for the cyclist to peak and win at the event.
What’s the current scenario of competitive cycling in Bengaluru?
Apart from the annual national championships, we have very few MTB races at the national level. However, Bengaluru is the Mecca of Indian cycling races, with reference to both MTB and road. We have a series of events called the Bangalore Bicycle Championships (BBCH), which are conducted every month. This includes both road and MTB races, and it has become a trend. Delhi (Aravalli Trail Hunters), Pune, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Chennai have all been following Bengaluru's footsteps and have their own community races. Aravalli Trail Hunters (ATH) has been conducting exclusive MTB races for the past five years. All these races have fixed calendars, helping the rider plan ahead. These races also produce some of the best talent from the country. We also have yearly races such as the Bangalore Mountain Festival, Tour of Glory and the Bombay-Pune Race. The future is very promising. We are at a very nascent stage, and we are headed towards more competitive races. The next step is to take these races to an international level, and we will get there sooner than later.