PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, March 1: Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) cadets won a total of 24 medals during the recently concluded Open National Sport Climbing Championship 2023, organized by the West Bengal Mountaineering and Adventure Sports Foundation (WBMASF), under the Department of Youth Services and Sports, Government of West Bengal.
The event was organised from February 21-25 in Kolkata. More than 40 TSAF athletes participated in the event.
The athletes from the grassroots development centre ‘Masti ki pathshala’ put up a great show winning laurels, and climbing higher up on the walls. The formats included in this were lead climbing and bouldering.
TSAF athletes won 24 medals out of a total of 36 in all categories: Kids, Sub-junior, Junior and Open showing rigorous practice, perseverance and sheer willpower of the athletes and their coaches. TSAF athletes are supported by Tata Steel Foundation and JCAPCPL.
The event was organised at the heart of Kolkata in the Sport Climbing Arena at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Salt Lake.
The youngest TSAF athlete participating in the championship is only eight years old. The award winners were given cash prizes, medals and certificates.
Champa Lamay, an MKP athlete and the youngest member of the team won the Gold medal in Kids Category. Savitri Samad won both Gold medals in Sub-junior Girls’ category. Sudarshan Murmu won one Gold and one silver medal in the Sub-junior Boys’ category.
Bhoj Birua won one Gold and one Bronze in Junior Boys’ category. Munni Pahadiya, another MKP athlete won one Gold and Silver medal in Junior Girls’ category.
TSAF is scouting talent from the grassroots to make them champions in this budding sport. With the state-of-the-art infrastructure and the new IFSC standard walls, this organization is geared up to nurture budding talents. Modular walls are being installed in more community development centres. Their aim is to train several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history of their sport.
A balanced nutritional diet, strategic training schedule, and sessions for holistic development are all taken care of to maintain a sustainable climbing atmosphere at the centre.
