Bhubaneswar: The fourth edition of annual Biju Patnaik Himalayan Expedition to Mt Stok Kangri (20,187 ft) in Ladakh will kick start on September 9.
Sports Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev will flag off the programme at Kalinga Stadium here. The voyage aims to instill values of adventure, team spirit and leadership among the youth.
Notably, the Department of Sports and Youth Services started this programme in 2016. The state government took this initiative to commemorate the Biju Patnaik birth centenary celebration.
The selected candidates have to appear for a fitness test. Many children, mostly from Sainik School, KIIT and KISS, have registered for the test. Some of the promising climbers selected from Odisha in the junior category (14- 16 years) will be trained from October-end to the first week of November.
The programme is being organised in association with Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, which provides the necessary technical support.
