Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) in association with Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) East Zone is conducting the national qualifying trials of sport climbers. Those selected will make it to the national squad for the World Youth Championship, which will be hosted by Russia n Voronezh, from August 21 to 31.

A total of 24 aspirants, including 9 from TSAF, are trying their luck at the three-day trials which was flagged off at JRD Tata Sports Complex on Monday.

The participants have been segregated in accordance with their age into junior and youth (A & B) camp. Siblings Aman and Anisha Verma, Talim Ansari, Suraj Singh Thakur, Sachin Saroj, Abhiskek Rawat, J Purty and Vidula Abhale are among the aspirants from TSAF.

The trials are being held in the absence of audience. All safety norms, including Covid protocol, is being followed to ensure safety of everyone.

Those selected will continue to getting trained at the training centre. This initiative of TSAF is to promote sport climbing in India and provide exposure to Indian athletes and help them prepare for future Olympic Games.

Chanakya Chaudhary, vice-president (Corporate Services), Tata Steel wished good luck to all the participating athletes and supported TSAF’s initiative to provide exposure and opportunity to the promising sport climbers. He also lauded TSAF's efforts to promote sport climbing in India.

Debraj Dutta, chairman, IMF East Zone, Hemant Gupta, head, TSAF and co- chairman, IMF East Zone and Bibhas Roy, coach along with officials and volunteers are managing the trials.

“Around 10 sport climbers would be selected after the trials. They will train in Jamshedpur before departing for Russia,” said Gupta.

TSAF has invested heavily, to develop infrastructure at the training centre for sport climbing in Jamshedpur. Besides JRD Tata Sports Complex, it has also installed 5 modular climbing walls at rural schools around the steel city to increase the reach and awareness of the sport.

The premier Jamshedpur-based adventure outfit started developing sport climbing in 2015 and has taken giant leaps over the years. The efforts are already reflecting through the results as TSAF climbers won the zonal and national trophy in 2019.

Cadets from TSAF training centre are amongst the best performing athletes in India. Anisha Verma is the current national record holder in speed climbing in girl’s category while her brother Aman Verma is the first climber from India to reach semi-final stage of World Youth Championship a couple of years back. TSAF cadets have won 20 medals at national level while more than 50 at zonal and state level.