Roll back decision to decorate Narendra Singh with highest adventure award, mountaineers urge Centre

Darjeeling: The international mountaineering community has alleged that Narendra Singh who has been selected for the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2019 had faked the Everest summit. They have appealed to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to immediately roll back the decision to present Singh with the highest adventure sports award of the country.

Incidentally, Singh, a mountaineer from Haryana along with 6 others have been selected to receive this award from the hands of the President of India on August 29 this year. With news of his selection, the international mountaineering community has written to the Ministry requesting a rollback.

Talking to MP, Naba Kumar Pukhon, the team leader of the expedition of which Narendra was a part, stated that the expedition had been organized by Seven Summit Trek in 2016.

"On 19th May 2016 we were at Camp 4 (7906m) on South Col. At around 7:30 pm Narendra's Sherpa informed him that there was some lapse and that there wasn't sufficient oxygen for Narendra and Sima Goswami to continue to the summit. Narendra went mad with anger and decided to carry on. I warned him that it was not possible without oxygen and even the Sherpa was not willing to accompany him without oxygen. I left the two and continued for the summit. The next day I summited," stated the team leader.

"On 21st when I was coming down, around the Lhotse face I saw Sima. She was alone crying for help. She had frostbite. I asked her to hold on and assured her that I would send a rescue team. In the evening I reached Camp 2 (6400 m) where I saw a mountaineer Debasish Biswas and Narendra in a tent. Biswas was tending to Narendra's frostbite with hot water. Sima was evacuated to Kathmandu by helicopter and was in a hospital. Both did not summit," stated the team leader. Two days ago Phukon received a phone call from America that Narendra was to receive the prestigious national award. I was shocked. It is a blatant lie. He had not summited. I have issued a written statement regarding this," stated Phukon.

Phukon's claims have been corroborated by Lakpa Sherpa, 7 times Everest summiteer and Everest rescuer who was on Everest at that time.

Talking to MP from Nepal, Sherpa stated "I was rescuing an Indian couple on that night. I met Narendra and Seema at camp 4. Narendra was arguing with his Sherpa. Seema was in bad condition. We helped them with oxygen and they started descending to camp 2. Next day I found Seema below the Balcony area. She was in bad shape and was rescued. They had not summited. Narendra had gone down to Camp 2. I could not remain silent when I heard that Narendra was being awarded for a feat that he had faked."

Mountaineers have claimed that Narendra's photograph atop Everest has been photoshopped and have given reasons for their claims. The Indian Mountaineering Foundation has also been appraised.

"We are deeply concerned to find out that the highest national adventure sports award is being conferred upon a person whose Everest accomplishment is questionable. He should not be considered for the award for any other feat also owing to lack of integrity. It is a shame to the nation, mountaineering and my father's name. A thorough check should be conducted when deciding on the recipient of such awards. We request the concerned authorities to look into this immediately," stated Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of Tenzing Norgay. Jamling is an Everesteer himself. Jamling has blamed over-commercialisation of Mt. Everest in Nepal for such lapse. "The Liaison officer appointed by the Nepal Government should ensure that a mountaineer has summited before handing over the summit certificate," stated Jamling.

Every year around 700 mountaineers attempt to climb the world's highest mountain in the window period in the second and third week of May. Human traffic jams are reported at the summit every year.