Minister flags off 9-member group to Matho Kangri;MAJK holds State sponsored expedition after 18 yrs

By admin On Sep 6, 2016

Sports Reporter
JAMMU: Mountaineering Association of Jammu and Kashmir (MAJK) organised first State sponsored mountaineering expedition after a gap of 18 years to Matho Kangri peak situated at a height of 20,439 ft in Ladakh.
The nine-member expedition, including two women, was flagged off by the Minister of State for Sports, Sunil Kumar Sharma in a function, here on Monday afternoon. Minister wished the team, which is a mix of young and senior climbers, success in their adventure. He assured all possible help to the Association in their future expedition, especially those organised in the erstwhile Doda district. Minister also promised financial help in developing infrastructure for Sport Climbing in Jammu. The chief guest also distributed medals and certificates to the winners of the State Sport Climbing Championship held recently.
The expedition team is led by celebrated mountaineer and Everester, Ram Singh Slathia of Jammu and Kashmir Police. The other members are Everester, Sajad Haider, Dorjey, Sonam Sidharth, Manik Slathia, Shashikant Sharma, Shawetica Khajuria, Ambreen Fatma and Ram Khajuria.
Situated towards the South bank of river Indus near Leh the 6,230 m (20,439 ft) high Matho Kangri is a formidable peak which was first climbed by a Japanese team. However, an Indian team also climbed it in 1989.
“Mountaineering Association of J and K plans to unfurl the National Flag on the peak in the third week of September, 2016.
The very well balanced team of some very experienced and some budding mountaineers is expected to place all the members of the team including two girls, on the peak,” giving brief of the expedition, General Secretary of MAJK, Ram Khajuria told the gathering.
He thanked the J and K State Sports Council for patronage of activities of the Association.
He also congratulated everybody for inclusion of Sport Climbing in the next Asian Games at Indonesia and Olympic games at Tokyo.
Prominent among others present on the occasion included Prof. Lalit Magotra (an eminent scientist and Advisor of Tawi Trekkers J&K), Zorawar Singh Jamwal (Secretary General Press Club Jammu), Rajan Sharma (Divisional Sports Officer(J), Arti Sharma (Director, Sprawling Buds School), Yogeshwar Kumar (Vice President), Shawetica Khajuria (Joint Secretary) and Sushil Singh (Treasurer of Mountaineering Association of J and K), Rakesh Goswami, Shakti Singh, Sumit Khajuria, Navneet Gupta and R.B.S Jamwal, founder member of Tawi Trekkers J and K.