SATV, June 25: 22nd Himalayan Whitewater Challenge 2024 conducted at Bhotekoshi river with the participants of 15 teams, has successfully been finished on Tuesday, June 25.

The competition has been organised by Nepal Association of Rafting Agency(NARA). Government of province, Bagmati province, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Co-operatives and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) propmoted the event.

NARA organised Rafting and Canoeing competition. This competition is being held in Nepal since 2002. NARA believes that this will help in the promotion of Nepal’s adventure sports tourism and will help to make rafting guides and water sportsmen more skilled.

Rafting was held with full of enthusiasm in the first place. Bhotekoshi Adventure Club, Team Rafting Star and Army team were three teams who succesfully grabbed the first, second and third positions respectively in the rafting competition.

Bhotekoshi Adventure Club completed the whole challenge within 29 mins and 53 second securing itself the first position. The second, Team Rafting Star completed the race in 31 mins and 07 seconds while Suresh Dhami from Army Team completed the challenge in 31 mins and 34 seconds.

The team securing the first positon in rafting were honoured and prized with 40,000 cash prize, the second with 20,000 and the third with 10,000 cash prize.

Likewise, Canoeing with greater zeal between participants as well as visitiors added more thrills to the atmosphere. Surendra Majhi completing the race in 30 mins and 51 secs, Krishna Khadka in 30 mins and 54 secs and Bijaye Majhi finishing the challenge in 31 mins and 03 secs secured first, second and third positions respectively.  

The first canoeist was awarded with 15,000 cash prize while second and third were prized with Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively.

This 22nd Whitewater Challenge which is programmed towards the end of November of each season has slightly been delayed this year due to some technical reasons. The main purpose of the event is to promote tourism, increase employment, increase the number of tourists in Nepal, give encouragement to the guide brothers and make annual updates about happenings in rafting then and now.

Shiv Adhikari, president of the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA), said that the competition was held with the aim of promoting tourism in Nepal by promoting water-related thrilling sports. Highlighting to the possibilities and disturbance on water sports, he added, “70% of river guides NARA produces work abroad. In addition, the main problems include garbage on the banks of the river, local government running dosers, state also priortizing license to hydro-power everywhere and lack of a clear state policy.” He tried to explain that rafting can be an important genre in the big future of tourism。

Bhotekoshi Adventure club stood first in rafting competition. Ravin Shrestha, Former President of the Bhotekoshi Adventure club, who co-ordinated and provided training for this championship shares the hardships and aim of the club, "we have continued to practice for this whitewater challange from some years now. The club commenced in a resolution of aiding in times of calamities like: floods, landslides and accidents that befalls on Bhotekoshi river standing near highway. Co-ordinating with governmental, non-governmental organisation including rural municipality and Sindhupalchowk district inclusive of training women for rescue, we tend to take instant actions on emergencies instead of requesting other organisations. We currently have 78 members in our club guarding Bhotekoshi river."