Rourkela: At a tender age of 12 he is competing with people much older than him in an arduous game like mountain terrain biking, and winning too.
Meet Tanush Kohli, 12, a Standard VI student of Delhi Public School (DPS) in Rourkela, who made the sport a passion ever since he turned eight when he first rode a cycle. “It just happened accidentally. We bought a small learner’s cycle for him with stays on either side like every family does for their children of that age. Little did we know that it was the beginning of his tryst with cycling before he graduated to much tougher Mountain Terrain Bikes (MTBs),” said Tanush’s father Akhil Kohli, an industrialist.
Tanush, who is at present in New Delhi, recently participated in one of the most challenging MTB cycling competitions of the country, Firefox MTB Shimla. “It consists of a 120 km stretch ride passing through the treacherous terrains of Himalayas. Tanush completed the path in two days time,” said Akhil. The participants, who aged between 10 and 50 years, had to complete 70 km on the first day, while the remaining 50 km was to be covered on the second day, he said.
“But many seasoned and older cyclists left the race halfway through as the ride is very taxing. However, my son remained struck and completed the race without any problem. He was tired, but enjoyed the challenge,” Akhil said. And on completing the race, Tanush received the ‘finisher medal’ from the organisers, he said.
Prior to that, Tanush had participated in various cycling events and competitions in Odisha and Bengaluru. “He won several prizes in Bengaluru. He is also participating in the 50 km category in Odisha,” informed the boy’s father.
Usually, Tanush begins his day at 4:30am, “We follow him in a car as he takes at least three laps on the Ring Road in Rourkela,” Akhil said of Tanush’s daily practice regime. The outer Ring Road spans a distance of 21 km. He is also guided by famous cyclist Sushil Das of RSP who is presently a coach. “He gets regular coaching from Sushil sir who keeps a close eye on him,” said Akhil.
Sushil said, “I must say Tanush is one of the brightest promises in long-distance cycling in the country. I am associated with him, and I am really surprised at his dedication and diligence.”
Tanush is also good at his studies. “His studies are not affected by cycling. He manages to do well in his exams and secures more than 80 per cent marks”, informed Akhil.
PNN