Jammu and Kashmir Cyclist Bilal Ahmad Dar's Olympic dream finds new drive

Hailing from Kawoosa village in Budgam district, Bilal has already represented India in global events and won medals.

Jammu & Kashmir's only international cyclist Bilal Ahmad Dar has been working hard to represent India at the Olympics and recently joined hands with Punit Balan Group (PBG) to compete in international competitions across various sporting disciplines and prepare for the upcoming challenges.

The group is supporting the aspirations of youths from Jammu & Kashmir since 2018 so they can fulfill their dream and live a happy life.

Speaking about this exciting onboarding, Chairman and Managing Director, Punit Balan Group said, “Jammu & Kashmir has enormous potential and talents and I am committed to promote and support these athletes so that they can fulfil the dreams to represent India and compete professionally and win medals for the country. Through Punit Balan Group and Indrani Balan Foundation, we aim to take numerous initiatives to bring the youth of this region into mainstream sports”, said

Bilal Ahmad Dar hails from Kawoosa village in Budgam district and was spotted during a talent hunt in Srinagar. He went on to represent the country globally. He demonstrated tremendous skill, dedication and tenacity and won a silver and bronze medal at the Asian Junior Championship, (2019), as well as two silver medals at the Asia Cup in 2018.

Punit Balan is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, social worker, sports lover and has been working with the Indian Army since 2018 to promote free education and rebuild the lives of children jeopardised by drugs and militancy in the valley. Balan Group is dedicated to supporting youngsters in achieving their dreams as they remain committed to fostering a culture of excellence and growth.

“I am extremely happy with the faith shown by Punit Sir and his team in me. My aim is to represent India at the Olympics, a feat that is still untouched and I am working hard to make this dream come true. I am confident with all the support I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts,” said the acclaimed Cyclist.

The group has so far supported close to 5000 youths including athletes, Afreen Hayder (Taekwondo), Muhammad Saleem (Cycling) Umar Shah (Cricket) and Umeer Syed (Kho Kho).