In a bid to promote adventure tourism and boost the inflow of domestic and international tourists in Arunachal Pradesh, the first edition of ‘Arunachal Cup-2018’, an R6 National Level Rafting Championship was flagged off by Liromoba legislator Nyamar Karbak from the Yomgo River here on Thursday.
Organized by the Arunachal Water Sports Association (AWSA) in collaboration with the state’s department of sports and youth affairs, the competition which would culminate on October 27 would witness several teams from all across the country compete for the coveted championship crown.
Teams of 6 paddlers will raft in five events viz Time Trails Sprint, Head to Head Spirit, Salom Round I & II and Marathon Downriver Race and accumulate points to decide which team will represent the country in the World Rafting Championship scheduled to be held in Austria next year.
Speaking on the occasion, Karbak said tourism in Arunachal Pradesh is at a growing stage and there is an intention to develop it as a premium tourism destination.
“The state government is investing a lot of money to make Arunachal the adventure and exotic tourism hub of India. Besides adventure sports like trekking, angling and boating, our state also offers great opportunities for white water rafting,” the MLA said.
Karbak further highlighted the tourism potentials of Kamba and said the circle, besides having the potential of becoming a tourist hotspot, is also blessed with many clean and beautiful rivers which are suitable for white water rafting.
International Rafting Federation judge from Russia (also the judge for the championship), Natalia Zenkova was all praise for the scenic and natural beauty of Kamba and the state.
“Russia is a beautiful country but the natural beauty of Arunachal is breathtaking. The only complaint I have is of the roads and if the same is fixed, Arunachal can go a long way in the route of adventure tourism,” she said.
White Water Rafting Association of Jammu and Kashmir general secretary cum commissioner of the championship Shauky Putoo highlighted the importance of water sports and adventure tourism. West Siang additional deputy commissioner Gobi Nyigyor appealed to the people to keep the rivers and its banks clean.
