India will be aiming to win a medal in cycling at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Two cyclists, Ronaldo Singh & David Beckham, representing India will have the same names as Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham.
Their Indian namesakes, Ronaldo Singh and David Beckham, however, have very little to do with football. Instead, the two youngsters have been dominating the Indian cycling scene in recent years and will be the country’s biggest hopes for a first medal in the sport at Birmingham 2022, starting later this month.
India’s cyclists have been having a great Commonwealth Games so far, with two cyclists qualifying for the final of the men’s individual pursuit event. One of those cyclists is Ronaldo Singh, who is competing in his first Commonwealth Games. The other is David Beckham, who is competing in his second Commonwealth Games. Both cyclists are from India, and they will be representing India in the final. This is the first time that two cyclists from the same country have qualified for the final of this event. It is also the first time that two cyclists from India have qualified for the final of any Commonwealth Games event.
Both cyclists are excited about the opportunity to represent India in the final, and they are looking forward to racing against each other. The winner of the final will be decided by a points system, and the loser will be given a bronze medal. This is the first time that India has had two cyclists in the final of this event, and it is a great achievement for both cyclists.
David Beckham and Ronaldo Singh will travel with Indian athletes en-route to Birmingham for Commonwealth Games 2022.
Their names are often confused with the star football players Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham.
But if anyone has followed Olympic sports in India, then they are well familiar with these names because they are two of the most promising young talents in the country in cycling.
In the history of the Commonwealth Games, India hasn’t won a single medal in cycling but the young duo is hoping to break the streak. Presently, they are in good form for CWG 2022 which will take place in Birmingham between July 28 and August 8, 2022.
Out of 215 athletes, Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh and David Beckham are participating in cycling.
Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam hails from Manipur, where people are very crazy about football. However, unlike his namesake, Ronaldo has little interest in the game. Before moving to cycling, Ronaldo tried his hands at high diving, gymnastics, and swimming which helped him face his fears. He started cycling at the age of 14.
Curiously, his name wasn’t quite inspired by either of the two usual suspects – Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo or ace Brazilian striker Ronaldo de Lima. He was named after another Brazilian football great, Ronaldinho Gaucho.
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Though he became popular as Ronaldinho in world football, it’s a little-known fact that Ronaldinho Gaucho’s real name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira. He was nicknamed Ronaldinho as a child because of his small stature and the name stuck throughout his career. The story of Ronaldo Singh’s naming began a day prior to his birth, June 21, 2002.
Ronaldo Singh is a professional cyclist. At the Asian Track Cycling Championships, Ronaldo won a bronze in the team sprint event and a silver medal with a new national record in the men’s elite sprint race. He had created a national record in the quarter-final with a 9.946s sprint and became the first Indian to breach the 10-sec mark.
The 20-year-old cyclist from Manipur made headlines in 2019 when he along with Rojit Singh and Escrow Alban won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships, India’s first-ever in the competition.
India’s Ronaldo Singh has brought glory to the country in cycling. The cycling champion scripted history by winning silver in the sprint event at the Asian Cycling Championships 2022. With the win, he also became the first Indian cyclist to win a silver medal, including in the Elite category at the Asian Track Cycling Championships.
Who is David Beckham?
David Beckham is a 19-year-old professional cyclist from Car Nicobar, Andaman, and the Nicobar Islands. He clinched a gold in the 200-metre cycling event at the Youth Games held in Guwahati, Assam in 2020. His name is fascinating as he is named after former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham. His grandfather named him because he was a big fan of the football star. David’s entire family is a big fan of former Manchester United and Real Madrid winger David Beckham and decided to name him after the English winger.
During his address, PM Modi phrases, “If I now take the name of David Beckham, you will wonder whether I’m the legendary International Footballer. But now we also have David Beckham amidst us and he has won a gold medal at the Youth Games in Guwahati. That too in the 200-meter sprint event in cycling.”
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In 2021, David Beckham won his first international medals, a gold and a silver in sprint and keirin, respectively, at a meet in Portugal. He was also part of the Indian team sprint squad, alongside Ronaldo, which won the bronze at the Asian Track Cycling Championships 2022.
Unlike Ronaldo Singh, though, David Beckham is a huge football fan and has even played in the Subroto Cup – India’s top inter-school football competition. He took up cycling on the insistence of his grandfather.
David Beckham lost his father during a tsunami in 2004 and his mother passed away due to infection 10 years later. He has been living with his grandfather since he was 11.
India is one of the most successful nations in the commonwealth games history as it’s fourth on the time list with 503 medals. However, as Indians, we are yet to enjoy the victory of cycling events from Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh and David Beckham hoping to be the first cyclist from India to win a medal at the commonwealth games.