Ronaldo and Beckham to be India's hope at Commonwealth Games 2022

Ronaldo and David Beckham are one of the most prominent names in the football world and in fact in football history. Both the players made an enormous number of records while playing for their clubs and country. Both of them played together for Real Madrid and were very much successful for the Spanish club as well. But this time these two names will be India's hope at the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.

Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh from Manipur and David Beckham from Andaman and Nicobar Islands are India's two cyclists who can bring medals to the country. Though they know a little about football, just like their name seeks, they can surely make some records.

Read Also: Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in Commonwealth Games?

Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh | Indian Cyclist

The 20-year-old young Junior World No.1 is India's biggest hope at the Commonwealth Games. To everyone's surprise, his name is not given after Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo or Brazilian star Ronaldo Nazario de Lima. In fact, his name was given after another Brazilian star Ronaldinho Gaucho. For your information, Ronaldinho's real name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira. He was nicknamed Ronlandinho because of his small stature.

A post shared by Ronaldo Laitonjam Singh (@ronaldo_laitofficial)

It was 2nd June 2022, England vs Brazil in the grandest stage of the Football World Cup, the semi-final. England conceded a free-kick and it was Ronaldoniho who scored one of the most iconic goals in world cup history to give Brazil the lead.

CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawan Roben Singh, Ronaldo's father was watching the match in Jammu and Kashmir with his other fellow colleagues. As Ronaldoniho went up to take that free kick, he guessed that it would go in. And, it did go in. Soon after the goal, the phone rang and Roben Singh got the news that his wife is in labour pain.

"I think my dad won some money that day. That's probably why I got that name. He felt I was very lucky for him," Ronaldo said in an interview with the Hindu.

Till now Ronaldo has made many records for India. He has been on the scene since he was 14. Since then, he has won a gold medal in the men's team sprint at the 2019 world junior cycling championships in Germany. That was India's first-ever medal for any cyclist event, junior or senior. Ronaldo had teamed up with Y Rojit Singh, Jemsh Singh and Esow Alban.

Then he went on to win the junior men's keirin gold at the Asian Track Cycling Championships 2019 in South Korea. Post that, he went on to become the Junior World NO. 1 in the keirin, individual sprint and time trial – three events of Cycling.

Along with that, Ronaldo Singh helped India win the bronze in the men's team sprint at the continental meet. He himself won the bronze as well in the 1km trail. Moreover, in that event, he became the first Indian to go below the 10 secs mark in the 200m flying time trial by clocking 9.46 seconds.

Read Also: India at Commonwealth Games since 1934 | How many medals India have won in the CWG?

David Beckham | Indian Cylclist

The story of David Beckam, the Indian Cylclist is quite the same as Ronaldo when it comes to the name. David's entire family is a big fan of England star footballer David Beckham. That is why he was named after him.

A post shared by David Beckham (@david_beckhamofficial_)

David started living with his grandparents after his father died in 2004 Tsunami and his mother passed away ten years later in an infection.

Unlike Ronaldo Singh, David was very much interested in football. In fact, he has played in the Subroto Cup, the premier Inter-School Tournament in India. However, he took up cycling due to urge of his grandfather. David has been cycling since 2017 and has won international medals in 2021.

He won a gold and a silver in sprint and keirin at a meet in Portugal – his first international medal. Moreover, he was also in the spritn team with Ronaldo Singh which won the bronze at the Asian Track Cycling Championships 2022.