First Bangladeshi team to go on Everest expedition in May

Participants of the 'Mountain Dew Team Extreme Competition' take part in a cycle rally in the city yesterday before leaving for Srimongal to take part in the final competition.. PHOTO: STAR

Dalchhut, an adventure magazine, is organising a competition, sponsored by Mountain Dew, a soft drink, to encourage youths who love adventure.

The aim of the Mountain Dew Team Extreme Competition is to send a three-member team to the Base Camp-1 of the Everest.

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Fifteen teams -- six from Dhaka, two from Barisal, two from Rajshahi, two from Sylhet, two from Khulna and one from Chittagong -- have already been selected in the primary stage. They left Dhaka for Srimongal yesterday to take part in the final competition.

The winning team will start the Everest expedition on the second or third week of May.

The team will be selected on February 23 on the basis of different tests like walking, running, ridding push-bike and trekking.

All the teams gathered at a restaurant in the capital yesterday for a press conference before leaving for Srimangal where final selection will be made by Mountain Dew.

The eyes of the participants were shiny with the dream of climbing up the highest mountain.

All of them were keen to have an exciting experience of climbing the Everest. But only three out of 44 adventurous boys and a lone girl will get the golden chance.

"No matter I am a girl. Climbing the Everest is my dream and I will try my best to turn the dream into a reality," said Sanzida Regin Munni, the lone girl among the competitors. Munni, born and brought up in Barisal, is the recipient of the President Rover Scout (PRS), the highest medal in scouting.

"We want to ensure that the smartest team would get the chance to trek the mountain," said Milon, the coordinator of the competition.