KATHMANDU, June 9: Adventure Sports Tourism Society (ASTS) has appointed Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu – the first Indian national to climb Mt Everest – as its goodwill ambassador for the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Acting Director General of the Department of Tourism Durga Dutta Dhakal handed over a certificate of 'Goodwill Ambassador’ to Dharmshaktu amid a program organized in Lalitpur on Thursday. He also put a special tiara made of Bodhi leaves on Dharmshaktu’s head on behalf of the ASTS.

Speaking at the program, director general Dhakal congratulated Dharmshaktu and said he was hopeful that appointment of Dharmshaktu as goodwill ambassador of ASTS would help in promotion of adventure tourism in both Nepal and India.

Similarly, ASTS patron Bikram Pandey Kaji said the new partnership would help to promote adventure tourism in this part of the Himalayas. “Nepal and India have many things in common. One of them is the Himalayas. Appointing Dharmshaktu as ASTS’s goodwill ambassador is a part of our effort to promote adventure sports tourism across the Himalayas.”

Likewise, Dharmshaktu said that he was touched by the gesture showed by the Nepali adventure tourism fraternity. “I express commitment to work for development and expansion of adventure sports tourism in India,” he added. “Despite living on the other side of border, I love Nepal. Nepal is like a second home to me.”

 
• adventure sports tourism society
 
• love raj singh dharmshaktu
 
• goodwill ambassador