KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off the second Biju Patnaik Himalayan Expedition here on Tuesday.
Patnaik flagged off the expedition at his residence Naveen Nivas and handed over flags to the participants. He also wished the mountaineers good luck for their expedition.
The expedition is being organised by Odisha government’s Sports and Youth Affairs Department in association with Tata Steel Adventure Foundation with an aim to create awareness about courage, discipline and team spirit among the youth.
The mountaineering team comprising 12 men and 3 women would climb Mt Rudugaira in Uttarakhand during their mission. They were given proper training before the beginning of the journey.
“We were trained for the last one month. We were given different kinds of training, including early morning meditation. We gave our 100 percent to prepare ourselves. We are very excited to reach the summit of the mountain. The expedition is aimed at fostering courage, discipline and team spirit among the youth,” said Sasmita Routray, a member of the expedition team
“We are glad and grateful that the state government is encouraging sports in the state. We used to get up by 4 AM to prepare ourselves with running, exercise and yoga. Besides, well-known mountaineers Padmashri Bachendri Pal and Padmashri Premlata Agarwal are accompanying us. This will definitely encourage us and we are hopeful that we will complete the expedition successfully,” said another member of the expedition team.
The 15-member team will climb the 19,100 feet mountain between September 16 and September 18.
Ms Kalinga