Hyderabad Boy Gets PM Bal Puraskar For Scaling Mt Kilimanjaro

Hyderabad: Virat Chandra Telukunta, a nine-year-old from Hyderabad, was given the Prime Minister's Bal Puraskar in Sports for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

"I used to run for 6-7 km every day, do sit-ups, suryanamaskar, and meditation. It was very cold there, but we focused on the summit point despite body aches, " Chandra told the media.

Chandra overcame challenges like extreme cold weather, finger pain, hand pain, and thigh pain induced by the cold while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

When it comes to his upcoming trips, he plans to visit the Australian Summit and climb Mount Kosciuszko once the border restrictions are lifted.

Virat's father, Sharath, told the media, "We were scared initially when Virat said he wanted to do mountaineering, but after discovering a good trainer and also seeing the results of Virat’s training, we were confident that Virat could do mountaineering."

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"I broke down when he returned to the base camp. I wanted to go along with him to the summit, but due to breathing problems, I had to stay there. It was hard for me, as I was always with him. Upon his return to base camp, his first words were, "I finished Maa, I finished!, Mountaineering at such a young age is difficult, and she wishes that all parents let their children pursue their dreams," Virat’s mother Madhavi told the media.