TAWANG, 9 Nov: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday flagged off the world’s highest mountain biking race, ‘Monduro 3.0’ from here, in the presence of local legislator Tsering Tashi and others.
‘Mon’ stands for the land of the Monpas, and ‘Duro’ depicts the Enduro format of the MTB. Monduro 3.0 is the first event after the state government declared it a calendar event.
Khandu expressed happiness over the participation of mountain bikers from countries like Nepal, Indonesia and Britain, besides those from across the country.
“This is an indication that the event has grown from its humble beginnings and has caught the attention of enthusiasts from across the globe. This will not only boost the morale of our youths to take up sports but also develop tourism in the region,” he said.
Wishing the participants all the best, Khandu expressed happiness that the event will henceforth be included in the Asian Endurance Series “as informed by the organisers of the initiative, to bring together all motorsports enthusiasts in Asia.”
He gave assurance that the state government would support the initiative in every way possible.
Saying that Arunachal has languished at the bottom when it comes to sports and games in the country, Khandu said that, “with support of the central government, the state government has concentrated on developing sports infrastructure, and is encouraging youths to take up sports as profession.”
“In recent years, our commitment has shown results. Our youths today are winning medals not only in national but also in international levels. Under the present government at the Centre, even India has emerged as a global power in sports and games,” he said.
Referring to the National Games (that concludes on Thursday) in Goa, Khandu asserted that Arunachal’s emergence as a sporting state can be vouched for from the fact that it is ranked 21st in the medal tally among 34 states and union territories.
“When it comes to the Northeast, we are third after Manipur and Assam,” he informed.
Khandu said that, due to the consistent efforts of the state government, Arunachal today is able to host national-level events.
“As president of the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association, I proudly inform you that we will be hosting several top matches of the upcoming Santosh Trophy Championship, India’s biggest football event,” he announced. (CM’s PR Cell)
