Manjot Kalra: The road near India Gate is perfect for a morning run

Cricketer and Delhi boy Manjot Kalra’s day begins with a run, almost every day. “Fitness is paramount,” says Manjot, who shot to fame earlier this year when he was adjudged Man of the Match in the U-19 Cricket World Cup, leading India to a memorable victory. His relationship with Delhi is largely centred on fitness. “As a professional athlete, you hardly get time for anything else,” he says.Manjot shares with us how he flirts with Delhi, and takes us on the city’s fitness trail.

‘I’m glad that now Delhiites are not crazy about six-pack abs and are choosing different ways to stay fit’
The cricketer says that what sets Delhi apart when it comes to fitness is that there is a culture of fitness and gymming in the capital. He says, “Delhi’s fitness craze began with going to the gym religiously.”
Manjot adds, “Youngsters were crazy about getting six-pack abs and all that, but now, I’m glad that people are finding different avenues. Koi running karta hai, sports khelta hai, kuch log cycling karte hain. Even young teenagers here are excited about staying fit and want to work on their bodies.”
Manjot Kalra
‘Fitness for a Delhiite is necessary as almost everyone around you is trying to be fit’
Talking about his own fitness journey and Delhi’s role in it, Manjot says, “When I started playing at a higher level in the under-19 and the competition became more intense, I realized how important fitness is. That is when being in Delhi helped, because there is no dearth of avenues here.” The 19-year-old admits that for a youngster in Delhi, getting involved in the fitness culture becomes almost necessary as everyone around them is doing it. “It’s almost peer pressure. Everybody your age is trying to be fit, either playing some sport ya gym jaa kar body bana rahe hain. Toh sabko dekh kar aapko bhi josh aata hai. You see somebody doing well in the gym and you try and emulate them. Aur Delhi mein sadak pe aapki koi help kare ya na kare, gym mein sab karte hain. You have friends who work out with you and you feed off one another. It’s positive motivation,” he says.

‘Delhi’s wide, clean roads are perfect for running’
But Delhi is not just a city of gym freaks. Manjot, who plays for the Delhi team in the IPL, says what makes the capital such a good city for fitness freaks are the wide, clean roads here. “The roads near India Gate and Lutyen’s Delhi are perfect for a morning or evening run. You will see so many people jogging or running in this area every day. I have seen people cycle to India Gate from north Delhi,” he says. While most of Manjot’s workout happens in the gym or on the ground, he warms up with a run on the road. “I start my workout with running, usually around my house in Azadpur or just at the Pitampura Sports Complex, where I used to train. The weather doesn’t help these days as it gets too hot in the day, so early morning runs are the best,” he tells us.