National Fitness & Wellness Conclave 2025: Harbhajan Singh Credits Virat Kohli For Bringing Greater Fitness Awareness in Indian Team

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh credited Virat Kohli for prioritising fitness in the Indian team and improving fielding. He said India often lost matches due to a lack of fitness. The World Cup winning cricketer was speaking at the National Fitness & Wellness Conclave 2025 on Saturday where he was appointed fitness icon along with Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal and Bollywood Producer Rohit Shetty.

“All credit to Virat Kohli for bringing greater awareness about the importance of fitness for the Indian cricket team. We always had the skills but Indian cricketers are now superbly fit. They don’t drop catches anymore and that makes a difference. Eat right, rest right and work out properly and see the difference,” said Harbhajan.

The Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, felicitated the newly appointed Fit India Icons. The conclave celebrated India’s growing fitness and wellness movement under the Fit India Mission, marking a significant step towards building a Fit and Viksit Bharat.

Saina felt that 'fitness is related to sports culture.' “Look at China and Japan. Their excellent results in global competitions are a result of the fitness culture. In India, this is changing. There is a lot of talent but there is no short cut to success. Parents need to understand that and be patient. Pay attention to fitness first and excellence will come with hard work. Also, keep that mobile phone away and be strict with your child."

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse felicitated Saiyami Kher, Shivoham and Vrinda Bhatt as Fit India Icons, recognizing their contribution to promoting health and wellness across communities. Ankur Garg, and Fit India Champions Karan Tacker, Vishwas Patil and Krishna Prakash were also felicitated by Union Sports Minister Mandaviya as Fit India Ambassadors for their ongoing efforts in inspiring citizens to embrace fitness as a way of life.

“Fitness is not only about health. It is integral to business as well. There is a huge market for sports goods. I can see how the awareness towards sports is changing. If we can harness sports science and produce nutrition supplements and fitness equipment in India, the sports fitness industry will stand to gain immensely,” Mandaviya said.

Raksha Khadse said: “India is an emerging nation in sports. The opportunities in the fitness world are immense. It is necessary that the entire ecosystem comes together and works towards a fitter India. Sundays on Cycle is a small effort but the results can be great in the long run. India’s all-round growth is clearly related to physical and mental growth.”

Film director and producer Rohit Shetty cautioned against “health influencers” who preach fitness in social media without proper knowledge. “It is a scary scenario. The new generation has to be careful when they want to grow their bodies overnight.”