Water rappelling world cup comes to Adilabad

ADILABAD: In a first for the state, the Adventure Club of Telangana will hold the third Water Rappelling World Cup-2022 from September 30 to October 4 at the Gayatri Gundam waterfall near Gundivagu village in Ichoda mandal of Adilabad district.

The organisers of the event are optimistic about waterfalls in Telangana receiving international recognition and propelling adventure-sport tourism. The event will be supervised by the World Water Rappelling Organisation.

Adilabad locals are enthused about the event, with the local PVTG PSRJ club — an adventure club established by tribals — set to play a pivotal part in the event.

Telangana adventure club director K. Ranga Rao told Deccan Chronicle said that around 30 countries are expected to take part in the event.

The competition will be held across 12 categories, including the popular ‘blindfold reverse’, ‘normal rappelling’ and ‘blindfold normal rappelling’ formats. Five participants will compete at a time, using four ropes each.

Rao said that the Gayatri waterfall has a one-kilometre surface on top, from where locals and tourists could enjoy the scenery. He said that pre-world cup events were held at the Gayatri waterfall in 2016.

Each participant will be charged Rs 5,000 as an entry fee, which will cover life insurance, accommodation and transportation from Hyderabad.

Rao said that safety measures will be ensured by providing participants with life jackets, placing boats at the bottom for safe landing and a rubber ramp to reduce the impact of falling.

He said that foreign participants will also be taken on tour to Jodeghat and Komaram Bheem museum in Asifabad.

Kanni Bai, an Adilabad native who won the gold medal in the last water rappelling event, said she was happy that the event was being conducted in her home town.

She said this would encourage youngsters to take up adventure sports as a career or as a confidence-building hobby.