ITANAGAR, Oct 26: The 3rd MTB Challenge Tawang was flagged off by MLA Mutchu Mithi here on Saturday, in the presence of officials of the youth affairs & sports department and the members of the Arunachal Cycling Association.
Coinciding with the Tawang Festival, the event will witness the participation of many senior national-level MTB riders from various states and the Indian Army.
Prominent among them are Devendar Thakur (Himachal Pradesh), Ahondo Menjo (Arunachal), Ashim Sharma (Sikkim), Innus Ali (Assam), Ashim Sharma (Sikkim), Nelson Hoober (Karnataka), and Maninder Singh (Hyderabad).
Thakur had won the third position in the 24th World MTB Championship held in Leh (Ladakh), while Ali and Menjo were the winner and the third position holder of the 2nd edition of the MTB Challenge Tawang.
The race, which has been divided into six stages, will pass through Sagalee (Papum Pare), Seppa (East Kameng), Rupa, Bomdila, Dirang (West Kameng), Sela Top and Jang (Tawang), covering a distance of around 500 kms, before reaching its final destination, Tawang, on 31 October.
The organizer has kept prize money of Rs 1.55 lakhs for the event.
Faculty members and students of the Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy were also present at the flagging off ceremony.
