The white foamy water of the Umtrew river dancing on the rocks and babbling its way through villages can be quite an ethereal view set amid the greens. But exploring its wild course is a thought that many would dread to give utterance to. There are, however, those handful of people who would not think twice before taking a plunge to discover nature’s myriad mysteries.
To uphold this spirit of adventure, a group of like-minded people with a fetish for adventure sports has formed the Meghalaya Canoeing, Kayaking and Rafting Association to promote kayaking and train young bravehearts in the extreme sport.
Formed last year, the association is yet to get a rubber stamp on its identity but its activities have already started with the help of expert kayaker Ian Vincent, who discovered the potential of Meghalaya in kayaking four years ago.
Roplang Kharmalki, general secretary of the association, said around 10 active members are working towards building the team.
The base of the kayaking team is in Umtham village in Ri Bhoi where Vincent, the 57-year-old Australian kayaker, trains local boys. There are seven trainees so far most of whom are teenagers who are acquainted with the river and the wilderness in the area.
“I found the river on Google maps as no kayakers knew about it at the time,” said Vincent.
Umtham, now popularly known as Whitewater Village, has become a favourite destination for kayakers from across the world. Vincent and his family live on the bank of the river. The training shed is a few yards away from the house. One can see the gushing white water and hear the intimidating gurgling of the river from the shed. A pile of kayaks line one side of the platform. Other kayaking equipment like the paddle or oar and spray skirts are stacked nearby. In one corner is a spacious kitchen that supplies food to visiting kayakers.
Vincent put up markings on the Umtrew rapids for the competition. Local boys are not allowed to venture alone for safety reasons.
A kayaking festival is being organised here for the last four years. This year, the festival saw the first state championship in the sport, which is gradually gaining popularity in the state as well as the country. There were 17 local participants in the 2019 event. Pynshngain Kurbah, a student of Class VII who is training under Vincent for the past three months, won the river sprint challenge.
While Vincent is the main promoter of the sport, the association is collaborating with him for the event. “Vincent has been reaching out to several people. We met each other one day and things started rolling, albeit slowly,” said Kharmalki, who is optimistic that the association will go a long way.
It will indeed because Meghalaya is a perfect choice for kayakers even at the professional level. Umtham, in particular, has its own advantages, pointed out Vincent.
“I think we have the best training location in India because the water is released from a dam and we get it most days of the year. And the water is not cold like the Himalayas. We have a good temperature all year round. And we are close to a city, Shillong, and not far from Guwahati,” said the expert.
Besides, there are other rivers like the Kynshi and the Kopili, which are good kayaking points. In fact, Meghalaya rivers are some of the “most extreme in India due to the geology of the region”.
It is this nature of the rivers that attracts several adventurers from abroad despite two deaths in 2015 and 2016, both in the Umngi river.
British kayakers Alastair Wager and Dave Hardcastle, who visited Umtham recently, feel that the state has the “world class” natural resource suitable for kayaking. “What makes the sport challenging here is the remoteness of the areas through which the rivers flow. There are no settlements nearby and when in trouble, the kayaker has to deal with it himself,” said Hardcastle, who works as an outdoor guide and has been kayaking for around 10 years.
Both the kayakers had been to the Kynshi and the Kopili. Before that, they kayaked in Rishikesh, Leh and Ladakh. “We kayak for fun and this is the first time we came to Meghalaya and we would like to come back next year,” said 25-year-old Wager, who is into the sport for about six years now, as he flipped through the pages of Meghalaya Rivers, “a must guidebook” for all kayakers.
It is, however, sad that Meghalaya does not have a team of expert kayakers who can take part in national and international competitions. This is despite the abundant natural resources. The newly formed kayaking association wants to fill the void by training young enthusiasts.
Kayaking is an Olympic sport and features on the list of National Games.
Ian Lyngdoh, the advisor to the association and one of the vice-presidents of the state Olympic body, said one reason why they came together is to train a team for the 2022 National Games that will be held in Meghalaya. “We will have kayaking as one of the Games events… it will not be nice to host the event without the home team participating. So we want to make athletes in kayaking and Mr Vincent is the driving force,” Lyngdoh added.
When asked whether a team can be built for high-level competitions in less than two years, Vincent said, “Most of it hinges on the attitude of the individual. With the right attitude and good coaching, someone could be competing at the national level within one year… To be successful in kayaking one needs to be fascinated with whitewater and have a strong commitment, be tough and confident and also (should have) a sharp mind to learn the principles of how whitewater works.”
But one needs more than talent to pursue kayaking as it is an expensive sport. The British kayakers informed that the equipment are not made in India.
“You can’t go far without solid financial backing. If the sport was promoted by the government then sponsorship opportunities would arise,” said Vincent.
Kharmalki echoed Vincent’s view saying the association looks forward to government help so that local villagers can be trained in the sport. For now, the association is banking on subscriptions from members and their commitment.
Tourism & job prospects
The association has a long-term plan to promote the sport in various ways. According to Kharmalki, the kayaking body wants to take the sport beyond Ri Bhoi by setting up district level units which will be instrumental in finding talents from remote areas.
He also sees tourism potential of the sport. People from outside the country will be enthralled to tame the arrogant rivers here and this will lead to high-end tourism. “Also, once we have the wherewithal to flag off our event, there will be huge turnout,” he asserted.
The sport can open up job opportunities for rural youths. In fact, two of the boys trained by Vincent got job as safety kayakers for rafting companies in north India. “They can also work overseas in the same job. There are good opportunities,” said the trainer.
The association also has a message to spread through kayaking. “Besides traversing the rivers, we want to sensitise people about preserving the ecosystem of rivers and the allied environment. Kayaking will be the medium to spread the awareness,” said Kharmalki.
Above all, kayaking as a sport can go a long way as “it builds a unique bond” among sportspersons that no other sport can do. “This is because a kayaker trusts a fellow kayaker with life,” said Hardcastle.
~ Nabamita Mitra
Photos by ST & Meghalaya Canoeing, Kayaking and Rafting Association