PM Modi’s love for yoga is a well-publicised fact and conveyed to the nation on International Yoga Day every year. Netizens are now keen to see what the PM has up his sleeve in response to Virat Kohli’s Fitness Challenge that he accepted with a tweet reading: “Challenge accepted, Virat! I will be sharing my own #FitnessChallenge video soon.”
This is a great deal more interesting than the other fads that became a trend in the past with people challenged to take a bath in ice off an ice bucket. It seemed fun then to take to the trend and challenge oneself, with celebrities more than willing to test their sporting spirit. If the trend helps the country wake up to a better fitness regime for all, the sports minister’s movement may mean something. Of course, everything gets political in the country as we saw some reponses to this sporting challenge.
It all started with Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Rajyavardhan Rathore urging Indians to adopt a fitter and healthier lifestyle and post it on social media to help people follow their footsteps. First up was actor Hrithik Roshan, and then Virat Kohli and badminton player Saina Nehwal who were challenged by the minister.
In the video posted by Rathore he can be seen saying he was inspired by the PM who wants India to be a fit nation. He then says that he will include a bit of ‘vyaya’ or exercise during his working hours and proceeds to do a couple of push-ups, that too in his work clothes. He then urges everyone to take a picture, make a video and post it on social media so that we can all inspire the rest of the country together.
Following his lead, Kohli tweeted, “I have accepted the challenge by Rathore sir. Now would like to challenge my wife Anushka Sharma, our PM Narendra Modi ji and MS Dhoni bhai for the same. #HumFitTohIndiaFit #ComeOutAndPlay.”
Hrithik Roshan also took up the challenge and posted a video of cycling to work that was followed by a tweet that read: “Easiest way to beat traffic... get a cycle.”
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju whose work out video had gone viral a few months back, has accepted the challenge and has in turn challenged Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu and actors Salman Khan and Saumya Tandon as well.
Nehwal went on to tag PV Sindhu, Rana Daggubati and Gautam Gambhir to join the challenge along with a video that she tweeted after accepting the challenge. PV Sindhu tagged Deepika Padukone, who then shared a video of her running in New York, and invited Mithali Raj, Rani Rampal and Aditi Ashok to join the challenge as well.
While Anushka Sharma has accepted the challenge with a video of her working out on twitter, Dhoni is yet to accept the challenge; it would be interesting to see what the PM comes up with in his video.
