The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced today the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award  for the year 2011  to recognize the achievements of persons in the fields of Adventure.

            The following four persons have been selected for the Adventure Awards for the  year 2011:-

1.       Col. Anand Swaroop, SM                             -                      Land Adventure

      2     Sub. Rajendra Singh Jalal                              -                     Land  Adventure

      3       Ms. Bhakti Sharma                                       -                    Water Adventure

      4    Shri Mandip Singh Soin                                 -                    Life Time Achievement

            The Award carries a Statue, a Certificate and Cash prize of Rs. 5.00 lakhs.

Col. Anand Swaroop, SM is presently working with the army Adventure Wing. He has been active as a mountaineering and has been climbing extensively since 1997. He has climbed as well as Led Expedition to various peaks including Mt. Everest, Mt. Satopanth, Friendship Peak Nyegi Kangtsang, Mt. Cho Oyu. He has been a member of Indian Expedition to Antartica. He has also led the first Indian Ski Expedition from Coast to Antartica to South Pole in 2011, travelling a distance of 1170 Kms.

Col. Anand Swaroop, SM has been awarded Sena Medal twice for Mt. Everest Expedition in 2001 and Ski Expedition to South Pole in 2011. He is an outstanding mountaineer, who has displayed exemplary and fearless leadership, devotion to duty and conspicuous courage while leading and participating in the various mountaineering expeditions in India and outside.

Subedar Rajendra Singh Jalal is presently working with the Armed Forces. He has been actively climbing high mountains and was a summitteer to Indian Army Mt. Manaslu Expedition 2011. He is a dedicated mountaineer with creditable achievements, having scaled four peaks above eight thousand meters height. He has displayed inspirational valour, outstanding leadership qualities and dogged determination in making all the expeditions successfuly in which he has participated. Because of impeccable record in the field of mountaineering, he is elected and called for all challenging expeditions undertaken by the Army.

Ms. Bhakti Sharma is presently a student pursuing her MBA. During the August 2010, she successfully swam in the Arctic Ocean. She has the distinction of crossing the strait of Gibraltor from Tarifa (Spain) to Sainar Point (Marroco). She took part in various Open Water Swimming Competition in Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean. She accomplished the feat of crossing the English Channel from Shakespeare Beach, Dover England to Callisport, France. She has shown exemplary commitment and endurance capabilities and has been following Oper Water Swimming consistently.

Shri Mandip Singh Soin is occupied with Adventure in all its forms and glories. He has been a true pioneer in diverse adventure activities and has spend over four decades contributing to the popularity and growth of adventure. His adventure activities have spanned five continents, in a holistic manner often with niche skill like photography, travel writing, ecological advance and lectures. He has been involved in adventure from Skydiving to balloon safari to Rafting to rain forest expedition trek expedition to mountain expedition.

            The awards will be presented to the above individuals by His Excellency the President of India during the Sports Awards ceremony to be held on August 29, 2012.

RM/RS