'Create skilled manpower to promote adventure sports'

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, Sept 30: Aruchal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday asserted that the state has tremendous scope and potential in aero, aqua and land adventure sports to make it a leading adventure tourism destition of the world. The chief minister during a meeting with Colonel Gulshan Chadha, Principal of tiol Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (NIMAS) located at Dirang in West Kameng district of the state, called for creation of skilled manpower to promote this untapped sector. He requested Col Chadha to train manpower with specialization in adventure sports, an official communiqué informed. “The more specialized human resource we develop, better are opportunities to attract adventure enthusiasts from all over the world,” Khandu observed.

Col Chadha had called on the chief minister at his offices here to submit the annual administrative report of the institute. In a power point presentation, he briefed Khandu about the activities undertaken during the institute’s three years since its inception in 2013.

Col Chadha informed that NIMAS has till date trained more than 1500 trainees in various diciplines of adventure sports. “We have been able to provide high end training to youths in river rafting. Our trained youths can face any challenge in the toughest river course in the world when it comes to rafting,” he informed.

He further added that similar high end trainings have been given in para-gliding, mountain climbing and other adventure sports disciplines. Col Chadha made a special request to the chief minister for promoting Skiing in the state.

He said, the location nearby Sela Pass in Tawang is ideal for the sport. He also requested to introduce Zip-line sports which has gained immense popularity in the recent past and attracts tourists.

Giving a patient hearing, Khandu assured that he would take up the matter with concerned authorities and work out modalities to promote these sports in Aruchal.

The chief minister assured that the state government was committed to provide every possible platform to attract tourists of different hues so that people of the state are gainfully employed and economic activities gets a fillip.

Khandu requested the NIMAS’s Principal to chalk out a retreat programme for team building for decision makers. “This is an important exercise where many fresh ideas emerge and team spirit develops. This is essential to achieve overall aims and objectives of any organisation,” he pointed. The meeting was also attended by Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary Dani Sallu, the communiqué added.