Gurung elected to UIAA secretariat

Kathmandu: The General Secretary of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) Kul Bahadur Gurung has been elected to the management committee member of International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA). His term will be for four years.

Gurung was elected to the post of UIAA management committee on behalf of NMA in a virtual general assembly held for UIAA on Saturday night. UIAA is the only international federation for mountaineering.

Earlier, NMA’s former chairman Jimba Jhangbu Sherpa was elected to the same post of UIAA in 2016. Gurung is the second Nepali to be selected to the UIAA secretariat.

Angchhiring Sherpa is an honorary member of UIAA and Dr. Ganesh Gurung is a member of Mountain Protection Commission.

Gurung’s election to UIAA secretariat has been deemed to be significant opportunity for NMA. He is expected play his key role in boosting Nepal’s tourism in the international forums.

UIAA has been specifically working for the welfare of mountaineers, climbing guides and mountain community.

On the one side mountaineering tourism is significant in Nepal, yet on the other hand it has not yet attained its right place of significance. Many of the famous climbing guides are going abroad which is most likely to have its bad repercussions.

This opportunity should be taken as an opportunity grabbed by Nepal government and Nepal’s mountaineering tourism.

This opportunity must be utilized to work towards attracting more number of climbers ‘in Nepal and expose Nepali tourism outside in the world and work in the development and protection of the mountain community.

On being elected to the UIAA management committee Gurung said his role on behalf of UIAA would be to work for social security of climbing guides, helpers and for development and protection of mountain community and for climate change.