Mountain bike race: Gearing up to pedal against the odds

Three-day event to kick off at Kaghan on Friday.


Our Correspondent September 19, 2012

ABBOTABAD:


For the fifth year in a row, an international mountain bike race is going to be held at Kaghan valley this weekend.


The three-day event will have world champions (including women) from different countries competing against one another.

Titled “Tour of Himalayas 2012”, the event is a fundraiser for the Kaghan Memorial Trust (KMT), a non-governmental organisation that launched schools for the earthquake-hit communities of the valley after 2005.

Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Archaeology and Youth Affairs are collaborating with KMT for the event.

According to KMT Programme Officer Marion Deniaud, eight international teams - from England, Scotland, Netherlands, Denmark, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and one mixed team - alongside three Pakistani teams will participate in the race. Each team will comprise three men and two women, who will traverse various gruelling and scenic tracks and trails in the valley.

She added that the event has three objectives: to raise funds for Kaghan Memorial School, to promote tourism in Pakistan and to project a positive image of Pakistan to the international community.

Meanwhile, upon being contacted, Station House Officer Kaghan Aurangzeb Khan said that security has been beefed up in the region, however he said that the inclement weather might force the organisers to revise the schedule as heavy rains have caused landslide at various places in the area, which may cause hindrances.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2012.

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