Nikhilendra
Singh, an adventure enthusiast and health specialist
from Secunderabad, has been selected for the world's
greatest adventure raft race - Four Square Challenge
2001. Four Square Sports Gear, the title sponsors
of Four Square Challenge and IMG, event
managers & the world's largest Sports Marketing & Management
Company, unveiled the dream 'Team Four Square'
in Hyderabad on 23 February 2001. It was one of the unique
hunts for adventure enthusiasts all over the nation, giving
thousands a chance to live their dreams, by participating
at the first ever world's greatest adventure raft race,the
Four Square Challenge 2001. Aimed at discovering six
new adventure aficionados, who would then be trained to
compete against eight international and three Indian teams
at the country's most sought after adventure rafting extravaganza,
the month-long hunt is finally over.
It
was certainly not an easy task for IMG, who had to carefully
scrutinise thousands of entries received during this unique
nationwide promotional drive of Four Square Sports Gear
and finally selecting six adventure enthusiasts. Introducing
the Team Four Square, Mr. Peter Hutton - Joint Managing
Director, IMG/TWI,South Asia said, "The
selection process, till now, has taken care of the specific
capabilities required for each of the four rounds comprising
the event and now, we would attempt that the final Team
Four Square comprises of the best of these adventure
stalwarts".
Team Four Square will consist of Nikhilendra Singh,
a keen adventure enthusiast and a health specialist
from Secunderabad, Sujeet Sabnis, a 29-year-old
strong proponent of outdoor adventure from Pune, Bipin
Bejjenki, a polo enthusiast and director of an adventure
travel agency based at Jodhpur, Deepa Thatte, a
young-in-spirit and an adventure buff from Mumbai, Dhruv
Rana, a 25-year-old rafting aficionado and Flt.
Lt. Paridhi Singh, a high-flying 29-year-old Indian
Air Force pilot. These six stars will participate
in the Four Square Challenge - 2001, once-in-a-lifetime
adventure experience. "Past adventure experience,
a good physique and above all, an unwavering spirit to
challenge their own limits were some of the criteria employed
by IMG to select these cheery and highly enthusiastic
sportspersons," said Hutton.
Getting
selected was just half the battle. The real task for this
dream Team Four Square will now lie ahead as Isaac
Wilson and Alan Burt, the world-renowned rafting
stalwarts and trainers take charge of the Team for a one-month
training course at Rishikesh."The performance
of each team member would then be evaluated at the end
of the session and finally four members would be selected
to compete with the other three Indian teams and eight
international teams at Four Square Challenge - 2001, to
be held on March 20-24, 2001 at the upper reaches of the
Ganges, Rishikesh," said Hutton
Though the history of rafting in India goes back to 1973,
this will be the first time when eight international and
four national teams, including Team Four Square would
challenge nature at The Himalayan Ganga, upstream
from Rishikesh - regarded as one of the most formidable
rafting courses in the World. The Four Square Challenge
is a three-day white water adventure race, which comprises
four different white water rafting contests, namely Raftathon,
the Aquadash, the Flying Slalom and the Raft Kross.
The total prize money of US $ 25,000, the biggest
ever in the history of such events, adds to the excitement
of the whole event.
TWI, IMG's television division, will produce four
half hour programs on the event. These programs will be
telecast on various channels including ESPN, AXN and
Doordarshan reaching millions of viewers the world
over.
Nikhilendra
Singh, an adventure enthusiast and health specialist
from Secunderabad, has been selected for the world's
greatest adventure raft race - Four Square Challenge
2001. Four Square Sports Gear, the title sponsors
of Four Square Challenge and IMG, event
managers & the world's largest Sports Marketing & Management
Company, unveiled the dream 'Team Four Square'
in Hyderabad on 23 February 2001. It was one of the unique
hunts for adventure enthusiasts all over the nation, giving
thousands a chance to live their dreams, by participating
at the first ever world's greatest adventure raft race,the
Four Square Challenge 2001. Aimed at discovering six
new adventure aficionados, who would then be trained to
compete against eight international and three Indian teams
at the country's most sought after adventure rafting extravaganza,
the month-long hunt is finally over. 
It
was certainly not an easy task for IMG, who had to carefully
scrutinise thousands of entries received during this unique
nationwide promotional drive of Four Square Sports Gear
and finally selecting six adventure enthusiasts. Introducing
the Team Four Square, Mr. Peter Hutton - Joint Managing
Director, IMG/TWI, South Asia said, "The
selection process, till now, has taken care of the specific
capabilities required for each of the four rounds comprising
the event and now, we would attempt that the final Team
Four Square comprises of the best of these adventure
stalwarts". 
Getting
selected was just half the battle. The real task for this
dream Team Four Square will now lie ahead as Isaac
Wilson and Alan Burt, the world-renowned rafting
stalwarts and trainers take charge of the Team for a one-month
training course at Rishikesh. "The performance
of each team member would then be evaluated at the end
of the session and finally four members would be selected
to compete with the other three Indian teams and eight
international teams at Four Square Challenge - 2001, to
be held on March 20-24, 2001 at the upper reaches of the
Ganges, Rishikesh," said Hutton 
