NIMAS lift rafting title, ITBP win women's, mixed titles

Amritsar, March 29

Advertisement

Among the national teams ITBP secured seven gold and two silver medals in the four day 17th National Rafting Championship held on the Pandoya-Tatapani axis on the Sutlej river. On the WRF point system NIMAS men were declared championship winners, ITBP were crowned Women’s and mixed teams champions.

NIMAS earned two gold and one silver, Assam three silver, Karnataka one silver and three bronze, ABVIMAS one silver and two bronze, first timers Haryana women one silver and one bronze and Arunachal Pradesh three bronze medals.

In the last three days, teams from across India competed ferociously among themselves. Kazakhstan sent a full contingent of its international team for demonstrative participation.

The championship comprises four events - Down River Race, Slalom, and the RX format. The championship include sporting categories for women, men and mixed teams as well and are governed by rules and regulations of the World Rafting Federation. The championship was inaugurated by Amritsar's Gunbir Singh, a member of the Advisory Board of The Indian Rafting Foundation (TIRF) and founder president of Punjab Association for Rafting and Adventure Sports (PARAAS). He said the white waters of Sutlej ride the fault line between the Asian plate and the Indian plate, offering a deep valley surrounded by towering mountain peaks to rafters.

PARAAS was represented at the championship by secretary general Capt Ajay Varma, treasurer Rishraj Singh Ahuja, Mandira Singh, decorated defence officers Brig Navdeep Brar of Special Forces, Group Captain Baljinder Bajwa of Air Force Adventure wing and young Turks Nehmat Kaur, Nishchayjeet Singh and Avijeet Bajwa.