HYDERABAD: Generation Y and even Z have always sought adrenaline, spectating videos of BMXers (freestyle cyclists) and skateboarders from the west, but now is the time for some real-local shredders. A tournament titled Revjam Reclamation held the country’s biggest BMX, Skateboard championship over the weekend at the city’s Wallride Park. Revjam invited over 80 action-packed BMXers and skateboarders from across the country, some of whom aspire to become Olympians. BMXers, cyclists and organisers from the tournament speak to CE about the city’s love for new action sports.
“BMX and skateboarding are relatively new in practice, but have been a dream sport for many across the country,” BMX athlete Hamza Khan, who also hosted the Revolutionary Jam or Revjam at Wallride Park at Chevalla said. “Most of the enthusiasts were mere spectators, for there was no proper infrastructure to practise the sport. Roads in our city are rough and uneven, and it’s not safe for action sports. But spaces like Wallride Park are gaining more traction because they offer South Asia’s only internationally accredited, BMX and skateboarding space,” added Hamza.
Since both BMX and skateboarding are part of the Olympics, parents are giving heads up to their children to practice the sport. “Around 20 children from the city and many teenagers participated in the Revjam 2022. The number of participants has seen a four-fold increase since Revjam started in 2018,” Hamza added. BMX and skateboarding are dangerous sports, but if you do have a good coach and proper guidance, and safety gear, it is like any other sport.
“Many people do get injured if the rules are not followed or if the infrastructure is not proper. In India we need more parks or better street roads for children to practice the sport as it is also a part of the Olympics now,” says Shariq a professional skateboarder, who participated in the Revjam 2022. Revolutionary Jam is India’s only BMX and skate event that started in 2018, after 2019 the annual event was put on hiatus due to Covid-19. But this year, the number of participants and spectators has grown six-fold in all corners of the country.