 Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 14: The Mountaineering Association of Jammu & Kashmir has announced a bold and inspiring goal to prepare at least three sport climbers from the Union Territory for selection in the Indian Sport Climbing team for the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 2026.
This major announcement was made by Ram Khajuria, Senior Vice President of the Association, during the formal release of the Association’s Calendar of Activities for 2025-26 at an impressive function held at the Press Club, Jammu. The event witnessed the presence of several dignitaries and prominent members of the mountaineering community.
It was a proud moment for the Association as Khajuria highlighted the historic achievement of international sport climber Shivani Charak, who holds the distinction of being the first and only female athlete from J&K to participate in any Asian Games in the last 78 years.
The calendar was unveiled by Anil Goswami, former Home Secretary of India, who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Among other notable guests were Ashwani Sharma, former MLA; Padma Shri awardee Prof. Lalit Magotra, President of Dogri Sanstha; Sumit Khajuria, Vice President; Shawetica Khajuria, General Secretary of Mountaineering Association of J&K; Vivek Chauhan and Sanjeev Gupta, Patrons of District Mountaineering Associations of Jammu and Samba respectively; and Sonam Sidharth, General Secretary of Tawi Trekkers J&K, among others.
• Multi-Peak Mountaineering Expedition in Ladakh: A major expedition aiming to summit five peaks, serving as a flagship activity.
• UT-Level Sport Climbing Championship for Visually Challenged Climbers: Scheduled for October 2025 at the Sport Climbing Wall in Sprawling Buds ICSE School, Bantalab.
• North Zone Sport Climbing Championship: Proposed to be hosted in Jammu, pending confirmation from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and completion of infrastructure at MA Stadium.
• District-Level and UT-Level Championships: A total of 16 district competitions and a UT-level championship are planned.
• Specialised Training Camp for Shivani Charak under a national coach to boost her preparation for the Asian Games.
• Preparatory Camps: Four camps prior to zonal and national events and an additional camp for beginners.
• Nine Trekking Expeditions and Coaching-Cum-Competition Programs targeting training of over 1,000 young sport climbers across schools in J&K.
Chief Guest Anil Goswami lauded the efforts of the Association and expressed hope that 2025-26 will witness J&K climbers bringing home significant accolades. He also assured full support to Shivani Charak in her preparations for the Asian Games.
Presiding Guest Ashwani Sharma urged the J&K Sports Council to expedite the completion of the climbing wall at MA Stadium, Jammu. He emphasized that with improved infrastructure, J&K has the potential to emerge as a powerhouse in sport climbing at both national and international levels.
Prof. Lalit Magotra, who was recently conferred the Padma Shri, was felicitated with floral honours and a bouquet. The function concluded with a delightful tea party hosted in his honour.
The entire event was skillfully anchored by Arti Sharma, Sr. Vice President of the Association, adding grace and structure to the proceedings. |
