By Ibankyntiew Mawrie
SHILLONG: It is a journey worth remembering for the four youth of Meghalaya who represented the state in the recently-concluded Raid-de-Himalaya, India’s toughset motorsport event, which they described as “an experience of a lifetime.”
Although the four, divided into two teams under the banner of Team Meghalaya, didn’t come home with the winners’ trophy, they said that the competition is not about winning or losing. “It is about the spirit, dedication and love for the sport,” one of the drivers, Shibor Wahlang, told The Shillong Times here on Saturday.
Team Meghalaya, with drivers Shibor and Sambor Wahlang along with Damebanshan Dkhar and Edmund Sutnga, competed against 56 other teams in the ‘Xtreme’ category of the 14th edition of the rally, an off-road event that kicked off in Shimla on October 6.
Their first time in the race, the Wahlang brothers managed a commendable sixth-placed finish in the T1, or Extreme Category, whereas in the overall category, which involved over 250 participants, they occupied ninth place.
The other team of Dkhar and Sutnga fell back in the second leg after their car, a Maruti Gypsy, tipped over and they failed to get back into the race within the permitted time.
Describing their journey, Shibor said that although the race stretches over six legs, covering a distance of over 2,000 kilometres from Shimla to Ladakh, it had to be limited to five due to heavy snowfall.
Organisers had to cancel the journey through Khardung La (Pass of the Lower Castle) in Ladakh, which is one of the world’s highest motorable roads, with an elevation of upto 17,582 feet.
“We had to go through many difficulties and obstacles besides the the freezing weather [including] high-altitude sickness,” Shibor said, adding that, despite the challenges, the experience gathered on the trip is beyond explanation.
Out of the 56 teams that set out on the race, only 16 managed to reach the fifth leg, which demonstrates how well the brothers did.
The winning trophy was bagged by Suresh Rana (his eighth win), who received Rs1 lakh in prize money.
The prize purse, however, doesn’t cover the expenses that each team incurs, with Shibor saying that it cost Rs2.5 lakh to prepare for the race.
Team Meghalaya are also determined to take part in the race next year and with an increase in participation, as they are preparing for the arrangement of fivecars from Meghalaya, if they can secure government help
“We didn’t approach the government, but next year we hope to get more support from the government and others,” Dkhar said.
Besides the four drivers from Team Meghalaya, there were two other drivers from the state, Andrew and Alex Ropmay, who took part in the adventure category and four others from the region – a team from Nagaland and one from Arunachal.
According to Dkhar, the love for this sport was evident even amongst the the older generation, who, despite the cold, are ready to risk it all.
“It seems there is no limit for fear as noticed in the eyes of one Dinesh Sharma, a 65 year-old biker from Bangalore,” Dkhar said.
In their message to the youth of the state, the drivers urged them to face the challenges no matter how big or small because, in the end, the result will always be satisfying.
Team Meghalaya will also be active in other events and they aim to participate in a seven-day race set to start with Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival in the first week of December.