Bhubaneswar: The Biju Patnaik International Mountain Expedition to Mt Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, was flagged off at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
A team of 17 mountaineers with five from Odisha are participating in the expedition to Mt Elbrus in southern Russia. The team is led by Nilachal Parida. Other mountaineers from Odisha include Chinmay Singh, Srikanta Khuntia, Ranjit Bira and Aditya Prasad Khadaga.
They will start the expedition to the peak of 5,642-metre mountain on August 7 and complete it on August 21. The team will unfurl the 575-ft National Flag on Mt Elbrus on Independence Day to pay tribute to the martyrs of the country and those who have lost their lives during the COVID pandemic.
Flagging off the expedition, Siddhartha Das, director, Sports and Youth Services said Nilachal has been an inspiration to the mountaineers. As COVID Hero, he has set an example for others by participating in the expedition, he said and wished the team a safe expedition.
Joint Secretary Bijayananda Nayak and officials of the department were also present.
It may be noted that Nilachal is the first Odia to unfurl the 575-ft National Flag atop Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa.
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