The State Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports on Monday felicitated four climbers who made India the fourth nation to scale Mt Everest, fifty years ago in 1965.

In a programme aimed at spreading the spirit of adventure, climbers Captain Manmohan Singh Kohli, Sonam Wangyal, G S Bhangu and Dr Mulk Raj were felicitated by H S Chauhan, president of Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), and Dr N Nagambika Devi, principal secretary, DYES, here.

Going down memory lane, the four climbers shared their experience.
“I am an ordinary person. My life story simply proves that every human being can scale the highest peaks of achievement in his or her chosen field. No one is born great. Only challenges make one so. I am a product of supreme challenges,” said Captain Kohli.

“To achieve, we need co-operation and not competition. An individual can’t climb a mountain alone; what is needed is team work and team spirit. It is ‘we’ and not ‘I’. We can achieve wonders with team spirit and enjoy the feeling of adventure,” said Dr Mulk Raj.

Chauhan spoke about the importance of adventure and disaster management. He encouraged the youth to take part in mountain expeditions. He also spoke about the opportunities and courses offered by the IMF.

Captain Kohli is a Padma Bhushan awardee, Sonam Wangyal a Padma Shri awardee, while the others are Arjuna awardees.