The Meghalaya Sport Climbing and Mountaineering Association (MeSCMA) has written to the West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner to inform that a person derecognised by the MeSCMA and barred from all Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) has been undertaking activities through the West Jaintia Hills District Adventure Sports and Mountaineering Club (WJHDASMC) and receiving funding from the state government, which, MeSCMA said, he should not be entitled to.
Last week a press release from the WJHDASMC informed that it had conducted a free basic adventure tour guide course for 20 trainees and then a more advanced course on July 11.
Today the MeSCMA told the DC that the WJHDASMC is led by one Sambor Surong, “who claims to be its founder and lead instructor”.
Surong, however, had been “de-recognised” by the MeSCMA in 2015 for “indiscipline and conduct deemed unbecoming of a climber affiliated with the association.”
Then, in 2021, the IMF issued a notice that Surong had been using a certificate to access “undue benefits” from the Meghalaya government. The certificate, issued to Surong for participating in two national sport climbing competitions, from the IMF was in fact genuine. However, after it was issued it was learned that Surong did not actually participate in those competitions and the IMF revoked the certificate.
“The individual (Surong) is also debarred from participating in any future sport climbing activity of the IMF,” the apex body for mountaineering in the country said in its notice.
The MeSCMA explained to the DC that it believed that the rules of YESS Meghalaya – a government programme to support youth-centric organisations – should prevent state funding for the WJHDASMC because of Surong’s troubles with the MeSCMA and IMF.
“It is a matter of serious concern that, despite being de-recognised and debarred, Surong continues to represent himself as a legitimate authority in the field. His ongoing involvement in such activities poses a risk of misleading the youth of the state, many of whom are aspiring to build credible and professional careers in the field of adventure tourism and mountaineering,” the MeSCMA stated.
