
Kerala government sanctions ₹75 lakh for Mountain Biking Challenge 2025
The Kerala government has sanctioned ₹75 lakh for organising the seventh edition of the International Mountain Biking Challenge (MTB Kerala 2025), which has put Kerala on the global map of mountain biking competitions.
The MTB Kerala, promoted by the State Tourism department, will be held at the Priyadarshini Tea Plantation in Mananthavady. Indian and foreign cycling stars will participate in the championship.
The amount has been sanctioned for the championship, including the travel expenses and accommodation of cyclists, prize money, and other expenses.
The Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) and the Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) are organising the championship in collaboration with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI). The 5-km track where the MTB Kerala competition is held is at an altitude of 3,000 ft. The championship's main attraction is the cross-country competition section, which covers terrains such as mud, rocks, and water. Cyclists from many foreign countries are expected to participate in the tournament.
Amateur competitions
In addition, amateur competitions for Indian cyclists will be organised. The winners of this race will compete with foreign players in the MTB Kerala International Competition. MTB Kerala has also been included in the calendar of Union Cycliste Internationale, the Switzerland-based world governing body for sports cycling.
The competition categories are International Cross Country XCO (Elite Men), National Cross Country XCO (Elite Men), National Cross Country XCO (Elite Women), Intermediate Cross Country XCO (Elite Men), and Intermediate Cross Country XCO (Elite Women).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Himachal Pradesh to open areas near India-China border for tourists
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Himachal Pradesh will open areas near India-China border , including strategically important Shipki La pass , for tourists.A beginning will be made on Tuesday with Shipki La, which is a high-altitude mountain pass that has been an old trade route between India and Tibet. It has an Army post and the border is manned by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). So far, it was open for local residents and for limited trade between India and Tibet. Now, working with defence personnel and ITBP, Himachal Pradesh government has decided to ease restrictions and open up Shipki La Pass for tourists and adventure Indian resident will be able to visit this pass after furnishing an Aadhaar card. The Army will restrict the number of tourists per day. The initial plan is to allow 30 tourists per hour and 210 tourists a day. The tourists will be allowed to go till the border check post and come back. No photography of the strategic posts will be to ET, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, "We have been working with defence ministry for the last one and a half years to open up border areas for tourism in a restricted manner. We will first open Shipki La pass. Earlier, a permit was required for this area. This will be a big step for people of Kinnaur as we expect more tourist footfalls because of this."Tourists will be able to see the Chinese checkout and even roads within Chinese territory as at this spot the Indian checkout is at a higher level. Sukhu said, "This is just the first step. We will open more areas along India-China border." Himachal government is working towards opening Kaurik and Rangrik areas in Spiti La is in picturesque Kinnaur district at 4,000 m above sea level and is mostly snow covered and inaccessible during winter months. The state has now decided to use the summer months to open up the area for tourism.


Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
BLW's Rohit Yadav wins gold in Taiwan Athletics Open
Varanasi: Indian athlete Rohit Yadav clinched the gold medal in the men's javelin throw, recording a stellar throw of 74.42 meters on the final day of the prestigious Taiwan Athletics Open 2025, held on June 7-8 in Taipei, Taiwan. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rohit Yadav, currently serving as an office superintendent in the electrical department at the Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) reaffirmed the sporting excellence of Indian Railways and BLW on the international stage with his achievement. The event featured top athletes from across Asia. Rohit Yadav's remarkable achievement reflects India's growing readiness for upcoming global athletic events. Congratulating him, BLW GM Naresh Pal Singh, said, "Through his hard work and dedication, Rohit Yadav has proved that BLW is not only a leader in locomotive production but also a nurturing ground for sporting talent."


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Meghalaya safe for tourists, continues to attract visitors'
Guwahati: Meghalaya is very safe for tourists who continue to visit the state regularly, deputy CM Prestone Tynsong said on Monday. He added that social media remarks depicting Meghalaya as a den of criminals, following the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, hurt the state's sentiments. Regarding the alleged weak mechanism in the state for handling tourist flow, the minister said the state has certain mechanisms which will be strengthened further. "Where there is a requirement for strengthening, that will be done for sure. In fact, the tourism department has given certain instructions relating to the registration of tourists," he added. The minister said the govt has already directed the owners of homestays and hotels to ensure proper registration of tourists. "In fact, we also have in place a tourism app through which they can send the documents to the police station concerned or may be to the SP," he added. Tynsong said the govt was deeply hurt to see remarks on social media referring to Meghalaya as a den of criminals. "I just personally take it that, okay, maybe out of emotion, out of desperation, maybe they could not control themselves, they made those remarks. But let me tell you one thing, Meghalaya is very safe," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Los jubilados nacidos antes del 1970 tienen derecho a estos nuevos aparatos acústicos Top Audifonos Undo He added that the Meghalaya Police force is one of the best in the country, and it has been proved. "Not only that, people would remember how we handled militancy 15-20 years back. We don't need any forces from the central govt," Tynsong said. Saying that tourists are still coming to the state on a daily basis, the minister said the successful operation by the state police will further encourage people to keep visiting the state. Last year, Meghalaya was named India's top travel destination in Skyscanner's Travel Trends Report, outperforming global hotspots like Baku and Azerbaijan. Shillong was the only Indian city to make it to the list. Meghalaya witnessed a remarkable year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals — from 10 lakh in 2022 to 14 lakh in 2023, which is a 38.9% increase, and further to 16.08 lakh in 2024, which is a 13.1% rise, reaffirming its rising appeal as a premier travel destination. CM Conrad K Sangma-led govt will now invest Rs 3,600 crore to develop tourism infrastructure, including the construction of high-end accommodations in popular tourist spots like Sohra and Umiam over the next two years.