#FitnessChallenge: Nominated by PM, Manika Batra urges all to stay fit

Indian table tennis star Manika Batra has expressed her gratitude after being nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fitness challenge 'HumFitTohIndiaFit'.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi took to his Twitter handle and nominated Batra, Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and entire fraternity of brave IPS officers, especially those above 40 years, to take up the trending fitness challenge.

Elated over being nominated by the Prime Minister, Batra told ANI that very few people get a chance to be nominated by the former and, therefore, she is looking forward to perform a good fitness challenge.

"I am very happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nominated me for the Fitness Challenge. I am very glad that he thinks I am very fit. Very few people get a chance of being nominated by Prime Minister. I am feeling very excited. I will try to perform a good fitness challenge," the table tennis star said.

The 22-year-old further hailed the initiative and urged the nation to engage in fitness activities.

"It is a very good thing that they had started. Not only sports persons but everyone one must follow a fitness routine," he said.

Batra participated in this year's Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Australia's Gold Coast, where she led the Indian women's table tennis team to win a gold medal for the first time in any CWG event.

She also won a gold in women's doubles, silver in women's doubles and bronze in mixed doubles.

The #FitnessChallenge was started by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore on May 22, when he posted a video of him doing push-ups. In the same video, he threw a challenge at Indian skipper Virat Kohli, actor Hrithik Roshan, and badminton champ Saina Nehwal.

Talking about the same, Rathore said that there is a lot of positivity in this campaign and that it is entirely non-political.

"PM always talks about fitness of the youth so that they can take our country forward. There are a few Prime Ministers who would share such videos. There's positivity in this campaign and it's non-political," he said.

The Prime Minister had earlier today also shared a video on his Twitter handle, wherein he could be seen practicing yoga, walking and breathing exercises.

"Here are moments from my morning exercises. Apart from Yoga, I walk on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or 5 elements of nature - Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Aakash. This is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating. I also practice breathing exercises. #HumFitTohIndiaFit (sic)," Prime Minister Modi wrote on the micro-blogging website.

On May 24, Prime Minister Modi accepted Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli's fitness challenge and said he will soon be sharing his own video.