Early Times Report
Samba, Feb 22: In a significant development for the mountaineering community of Jammu and Kashmir, Shobha Rajput, a renowned sport climber and educator based in Samba, has been unanimously elected as the President of the District Mountaineering Association, Samba. The election took place during a meeting held at the Press Club of Jammu, where prominent figures in the field of mountaineering gathered to shape the future of the association.
Joining Shobha Rajput in leading the association is Manik Slathia, a distinguished mountaineer, who has been elected as the General Secretary. Tania Billawaria of Eurokids, Samba, has been appointed as the Vice President, while Rohini Manhas from The Shri Ram Universal School, Jakh, and Sushil Singh from Deon village have been selected as the Joint Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.
Notably, the newly formed executive body of the District Mountaineering Association, Samba, boasts a significant representation of women, with seven out of ten members being women. This move highlights a remarkable step towards women empowerment within the sports arena, setting a unique precedent in the region.
Sanjeev Gupta, Chairman of The Shri Ram Universal School, Jakh, and Inspector Ram Singh Slathia, an Everester, have been nominated as the Patron and Advisor of the association, respectively, by the elected body.
Ram Khajuria, Senior Vice President of the Mountaineering Association of Jammu and Kashmir, served as the Observer for the elections, ensuring transparency and fairness in the process, while Rakesh Goswami, President of the District Mountaineering Association, Jammu, acted as the Returning Officer.
In her address following the election, Shobha Rajput expressed her gratitude for the honor bestowed upon her and pledged to dedicate herself to the promotion of adventure activities, particularly sport climbing, in Samba District. She expressed optimism about the potential for local climbers to excel at regional and national levels, especially with the establishment of a standard climbing wall at M A Stadium, Jammu. Rajput also appealed to the government to provide a similar facility in Samba District to facilitate the professional training of local climbers and enhance their capabilities to compete at higher levels.
With Shobha Rajput’s leadership and the collective efforts of the newly elected executive body, the District Mountaineering Association, Samba, is poised to make significant strides in promoting mountaineering and adventure sports in the region while fostering gender inclusivity and empowerment within the sporting community. |
