1st person from country to scale highest peaks in 7 continents
Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, Jan 29: Jammu and Kashmir possesses immense talent in various disciplines of sports. Wushu players, time and again, bring laurels to the State, Fencers blossom at the National and International scene, Gymnasts keep the State’s flag high, so do the judokas and the cricketers. However, the absence of comprehensive sports policy in the State serves as a stumbling-block in making these talented players to flourish at the highest level. So, implementation of a concrete sports policy in Jammu and Kashmir is the need of the hour.
This was stated by the son of the soil, Everester Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal, while sharing his views with EXCELSIOR,
Col Ranveer, who has the honour of scaling all highest mountains of seven continents said that Jammu and Kashmir has the sporting icons like Surya Bhanu Partap Singh and likes and the only need is to provide them standard facilities and infrastructure in order to perform consistently well at the higher levels, besides providing them perks, incentives and scholarships via comprehensive sports policy analogous to the State’s like Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab and likes.
Col Ranveer, who has the distinction of conquering the World’s highest peak, Mount Everest not only once, twice but thrice, said that it would be like flogging a dead horse to compare a talented sportspersons from Jammu and Kashmir, (who gets a cash award of meagre Rs 51,000) with a sportspersons from Haryana, who gets a cash award of Rs 50,000, 00 for similar achievement.
Col Jamwal, whose latest Frontier was Mount Vinson in Antarctica, said that one feels humiliated rather shell-shocked that on the one hand, a militant after surrendering gets a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and on the other hand, a sportsperson after winning a medal at the International level gets a cash award of paltry Rs 51,000.
Hailing from a small Village Badhori near Jammu, iconic Ranveer said that from a long time now, the State of Jammu and Kashmir is striving hard to carve a space on the Country’s sports map, but is yet to take proper initiatives to provide requisite facilities to the budding sportspersons, adding that he expects a lot from the present Governor Satya Paul Malik and his team of advisors, who, it is believed, are leaving no stone unturned in promoting sports in nooks and corners of the State.
To a question as to how he felt after conquering all peaks in the World, Ranveer said ‘on top of the world’, adding that it was always an uphill task to be part of around 40 expeditions for 15 long years, simply not everybody’s cup of tea.
Replying to a question as to what made him to choose mountaineering, Ranveer said that he was a perfect athlete and mountaineering was never his first choice, but it was only after joining the Army, he went for basic and advanced mountaineering and skiing courses and chose mountaineering as a profession.
Attributing his success to Indian Army, he said whatever he has achieved is because of the Army.
To a question as to how did he see sports in Jammu and Kashmir and what is his message to the budding sportspersons of the State, Col Ranveer said that so far sports and games have been in bad state rather in pathetic condition in J&K, however, he pinned hopes on Governor and his advisory team for making sea change in sports culture in the State.
In a message to budding sportspersons, Ranveer said dedication, determination and devotion is the ‘mantra’ to succeed in any field, not to talk of the field of sports only.
Throwing light on his next mission and future plans, Col Ranveer said that he will prefer rest for a while and focus on his job in the Indian Army and then start the usual mission of conquering the peaks and nurturing the young talent.
Replying to a question as to who was his favourite sportsperson, Arjuna Awardee Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal said that there is not any particular one, but a galaxy of sportspersons, whom he admires and takes as the role models. He said cricketer Virat Kohli, shuttlers Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, their coach Pullela Gopichand and Wrestler Sushil Kumar are a few ace sportspersons to name.
Referring to the reception accorded to him in his native town after returning from his last expedition on the other day, Col Ranveer said that an ecstatic rather a blissful feeling smacked his mind to watch a huge gathering according him a rousing welcome. He said that he simply felt on top of the world.
To a question as to how he felt to be the first person from J&K as also from Indian Army to scale all highest mountains in the world, Ranveer said that the feeling was ‘Amazing’.
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