Giant Starkenn Awarded Scholarships to Maharashtra Cyclists

Pune, June 11, 2018- Starkenn Sports Private Limited, a premium bicycle brand awarded scholarships to the members of Maharashtra Cycling team for their outstanding performances in national and international cycling events in the year 2017-18. Mr.Rajiv Mehta- Secretary General of Indian Olympic Association (IOC) and Mr.Ajit Dada Pawar, President- Maharashtra Olympic Association handed over the Giant Starkenn scholarships to the cyclists of Maharashtra. This event was attended by various dignitaries such as Mr.Omkar Singh, Secretary General - Cycling Federation of India, Adv.Vikram Rothe- President-Cycling Association of Maharashtra, Mr.Prashant Khatavkar-GM-Bank of Maharashtra Pune City, Mr. Pratap Jadhav-Secretary-Cycling Association of Maharashtra. Mr.Rajiv Mehta- Secretary General of Indian Olympic Association was the chief guest for this event. At the starting of the event, Mr.Pravin Patil, MD & CEO, Starkenn sports felicitated the guests and dignitaries who were present on the dais.

Giant Starkenn awarded scholarships to 23 riders who have performed well in various tournaments. First time in history, the Maharashtra Cycling Team has won the MTB Championship and the National Track Cycling Championship in the same year. Rutuja Satpute, Pranita Soman, Vivek Waykar, Pooja Danole, Sidhesh Sharma, Swapmali Sutar, Mayur Pawar were some of the key recipients of this scholarship. This event took place in Pune at Pt. Nehru Auditorium situated at Ghole Road, Shivaji Nagar.

Mr. Rajiv Mehta- Secretary General of Indian Olympic Association (IOC) said, “In deed it is my honor to be here today to present Giant Starkenn Scholarships to the promising cyclists of Maharashtra Cycling Team who have made us and Maharashtra proud by winning various state level and national championships. I must congratulate all the cyclists and the Cycling Federation of Maharashtra for all their efforts and achievements. We as IOC are always there to support cyclists so that we can perform well at the international level. Today’s program has assured me that we have plenty of talent we just need to guide them and support them in the right direction and I think this is the perfect example of how the cycling association and an organization such as Starkenn Sports should work together to nurture and promote cycling in our country.”

Speaking on the occasion Shri. Ajit Dada Pawar, President-Maharashtra Olympic Association said, “First of all, I would like to congratulate all the cyclists who have made us proud at various national and international platforms. I would also like to congratulate Starkenn Sports and Mr. Pravin Patil as this initiative taken by them will boost the confidence of cyclists and would encourage them to pursue their careers even further. This will provide the much-needed support to all the cyclists who have worked hard to achieve success at these various cycling events. I would like say this on behalf of the Maharashtra Olympic Association that we are always there to support our state team and budding cyclists can approach us whenever they need any kind of help.”

Mr. Pravin V Patil, Managing Director and CEO, Starkenn Sports Pvt Ltd said, “It is indeed a proud moment for the entire Giant Starkenn team to award scholarships to the cyclists for their brilliant performances at various cycling events across the globe in the previous year. It gives us immense happiness to see the success of our cyclists and we hope to see them climb up the ladder in the coming future. At Giant Starkenn, our aim is not only to sell bicycles but also to create a convivial environment for cycling and promote it as a sport in India. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Rajiv Mehta, Shri Ajit Dada Pawar and Mr. Omkar Singh for giving us their valuable time for today’s program. We aim to continue our association with Maharashtra Cycling Team in the near future as well to promote and nurture cycling talent from Maharashtra.”

Commenting on the occasion Mr. Omkar Singh, Secretary General - Cycling Federation of India said, “First of all congratulations to all the cyclists who have made us proud with their achievements. I would like to urge other companies to learn from Starkenn Sports and take these kind of noble initiatives to promote cycling in other states as well. I appreciate this gesture of Mr. Patil and his passion for cycling. I am confident that with combined efforts from companies like Giant Starkenn and Cycling Federation of India, we will see a lot more cyclists coming up and representing India on the global platform. The Cycling Federation of India is committed to support the cyclists of Maharashtra in all their future endeavors.”