Nithila Das: Bengaluru teen on fast lane to achieve 2028 Olympics dream
At a time when it’s not easy to excel in one sport, a Bengaluru-based teenager is making her mark in two — cycling and motorbiking, besides breaking gender barriers.
Nithila Das, 13, aspires to represent India and win the gold medal in MTB Cycling (mountain biking) at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Apart, she aims to be the “fastest girl in the world” in motorsport and a MotoGP rider.
It was Nithila’s father Nikhil Das, an aerospace engineer turned businessman, who introduced his daughter to cycling when she was six. Three years later, she was competing against boys in professional races.
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The Das family, which hails from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, moved to Bengaluru in 2005.
Since 2018, Nithila has been into MTB cycling and is now the fastest MTB rider in Karnataka. She also became the fastest rider in motorbiking at South Indian selections conducted by TVS Racing in the 2022 season.
In September 2022, Nithila claimed the top honours in the girls’ category, and was overall fifth in the FIM MiniGP World Series India 2022.
“I started cycling at the age of six years. It was my dad who introduced me to the sport. When I participated in my first-ever race, I won and it gave me the confidence to achieve more. So far, I have had more than 150 podium finishes,” Nithila told The Federal, ahead of International Women’s Day.
The passion for one sport led to another as she took up motorsport as well. Nithila’s motorbiking career is inspired by her dad, who is a petrolhead.
“I want to continue pursuing both MTB cycling and motorbiking. I am confident that I can balance both and do well in both fields,” says Nithila, who is a Class 7 student in an online education institution (21K School).
Competing against both boys and girls older than her, Nithila came out on top but there were also instances where she faced “aggressive behaviour” from boys.
“I have been competing with both boys and girls. Many have appreciated my achievements. Also, there were instances where some boys were aggressive towards me and in one of the motorbike races, a boy kicked me while negotiating a corner on the race circuit and I had a fall. However, the organisers were quick to act and imposed a fine on him,” recalls Nithila.
Was she scared to ride motorbikes? “No, not all. Whenever I ride on the circuit, I do not have that fear factor. When I get on to my bike and compete the only thing in mind is give my best and complete the race,” she says confidently.
With both cycling and motorsport being expensive sports, Nithila is now looking for sponsors as she plans to train abroad this year. So far, her dad has been funding her passion and spent close to Rs 80 lakh.
“This year, I plan to train in Australia and compete in international races organised by International Cycling Union (UCI). It will be a huge boost for me to train abroad. For that, I need financial support. As of now, my dad is taking care of my expenses. It would be grateful if I get sponsors,” says Nithila.
She is currently training under national MTB cycling coach Kiran Kumar Raju, and international exposure will catapult Nithila’s career to new heights, feels her father Nikhil.
“I feel proud of what Nithila has achieved at a very young age. Of course, there is still a long way to go. I am supporting her in whatever way I can. If we get sponsors, it will help her get international exposure. Training abroad is essential to nurture her Olympic dream,” Nikhil told The Federal.
Nithila was also trained by Tribal Sanjay, Dev Venkatesh, and mentored by various professional riders, including motorcycle racers CS Santhosh and Aishwarya Pissay.
At a very young age, Nithila seems to be on the right track to achieving more glory at national and international levels. Her Olympic dream needs more support.
