A jump from the top of The 42, Kolkata’s tallest building, marked the flagging-in ceremony of the Durand Cup Trophy Tour. Two army officers undertook BASE jumping despite the rainy weather and windy conditions and successfully pulled off the feat, landing safely on the Maidan.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, and Aroop Biswas, minister in charge of power, youth services and sports, government of West Bengal.
Traditionally organised by the Indian Army on behalf of the armed forces, Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest running football tournament. The Durand Cup has a long and rich legacy, dating back to 1888. A total of 24 teams divided into six groups — three groups in Kolkata, two in Guwahati and one in Kokrajhar — will participate in this year’s tournament and play 36 leagues, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and one final match.
My Kolkata was there at the flagging-in ceremony. Here are some moments from the event in pictures:
Picture by Amit Datta
Heavy rain couldn’t dampen the spirit as senior officers and guests waited patiently for the ceremony to begin. “This ceremony is being held in monsoon, the most football-like season in Kolkata at a place (Maidan) where Kolkata football thrives. Durand Cup is one of the oldest tournaments and the state government has always supported this with utmost priority. I congratulate all who are associated with the tournament,” minister Aroop Biswas said.
Picture by Amit Datta
At one point, it seemed impossible that the jumpers would be able to perform the stunt. However, the officers made most of a small window between two spells of rain and performed the stunt with utmost precision. It was Group Capt Kamal Singh Oberh who went first. It took Oberh about a minute to land on the Maidan from the top of the building.
Picture by Amit Datta
BASE jumping is similar to skydiving, but from the top of tall buildings, and bridges. Sportsmen leap from towering structures and natural formations, embracing the unknown in a breathtaking descent. “It is one of the most extreme sports. The basic difference between skydiving and base jumping is that in skydiving there is a reserve parachute, but in BASE jumping there is just one. Because of the low height, there is no scope for using a second parachute. In today’s event, we had to open the parachute precisely two seconds after the jump. If opened early, the parachute would not unfurl because I didn’t have proper speed, if I had tried to open late there would not have been enough time,” said Oberh (in picture above), who served in the Indian Air Force for 26 years and received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for excellence in aero adventure sports. He is the first Indian to have skydived over both extremes of our planet— the Geographical North Pole in the Arctic Circle and the white continent of Antarctica. In 2016, he created a new national record, breaking a 19-year-old record, by skydiving with the largest flag in the country measuring over 4,300 sq feet.
Picture by Amit Datta
Lt Col Satyendra Verma (in picture above) followed Oberh. Commissioned in the Indian Army in 1991, Verma dedicated more than two decades of his life to serving the nation before taking an early retirement in 2013. From being a seasoned skydiver to a BASE jumper, wingsuit pilot, and paragliding pilot, Verma has conquered the skies in various ways. With an impressive count of over 2,500 freefall jumps and more than 350 wingsuit flights, Verma is always up for adventure. “We always take utmost precaution before such events. Today's weather was not ideal for BASE jumping, but we took a calculated risk,” said Verma.
Picture by Amit Datta
Once Verma reached the ground, Oberh couldn’t contain his emotions and gave Verma a victory hug.
Picture by Ashim Paul and Amit Datta
The invited guests and army officers watched the entire event with rapt attention. “This is something scary to watch. I feel dizzy even if I imagine looking down from the top of a building, and these men jumped from the roof of the tallest building in northeast India. I salute the Indian Army,” said Shalini Oberoi, a guest.