Jyoti Kumari who cycled down 1200 km carrying father amid COVID-19 lockdown to be called for trial by Cycling Federation

Jyoti Kumari, the 15-year-old girl whose story went viral on social media last week after it emerged that she had cycled 1200 km from Gurugram to Bihar over eight days with her ailing father in town, has been offered a trial by the Cycling Federation of India.

Fearing that they would soon be turned out by their landlord from their Gurugram lodgings, a tenacious Jyoti had asked her injured father to sit on the rear side carrier of her cycle as she pedalled home.

“Amid the gloomy situation, Jyoti suggested that we return home. I pointed out that we would not be able to find any trains or buses and my condition would not allow me to walk. She said we should get a bicycle,” her father had said.

Cycling Federation of India Chairman Onkar Singh told PTI on Thursday that if Kumari, a class eight student, passes the trial, she will be selected as a trainee at the state-of-the-art National Cycling Academy at the IGI Stadium complex in New Delhi.

“We spoke to the girl this morning and we have told her that she will be called to Delhi next month as soon as the lockdown is lifted. All the expenses of her travel, lodging and other will be borne by us,” Singh said.

“If she needs to accompany somebody from home, we will also allow that. We will see in consultation with our Bihar state unit on how she can be brought to Delhi for a trial,” he added.

Asked about the rationale behind offering trial to the youngster, Singh said, “She must have something in her. I think cycling down more than 1200 km is not a mean job. She must be having the strength and physical endurance. We want to test it.”

“We will make her sit on the computerised cycle we have at the academy and see if she satisfies the seven or eight parameters to get selected. After that she can be among the trainees and she will not have to spend anything.”

He said the CFI always tries to find out talent for grooming.