Here, you won’t mind being taken for a ride

With just four days to go for the gala opening of the national youth festival in this coastal city, the district is ready to give the youth a taste of being wet both on salty water of the sea and the sweet water of Nethravati river.

The water-sport location was inaugurated on Sunday at the riverfront and the top functionaries of the government had first test rides.

Minister for environment and ecology Krishna Palemar and deputy speaker of the state legislative assembly, N Yogish Bhat, decided to get wet first.

After taking a jet-ski water scooter ride in the river, they expressed satisfaction that the equipment are world-class and the security measures adequate. “Since more than 5,000 youth from all over the country will be participating in the 17th national youth festival, I am sure many of them would be eager to have  a taste of the coast and river water adventure, but safety comes first,” Palemar said.

It could not have been any other organisation than the General Thimmaiah National Adventure Academy to organise water sports and other adventure sports for the delegates of the youth festival.
“They are the best and keep safety as the top priority,” said Yogish Bhat.

Youth delegates can have many other adventure sports, including jet skiing, banana ride and kayaking in the water sports category, other events like para-sailing and zorbing will be held at Panambur beach.

Options such as rappelling, jumaring and tyrolean traverse are also on the menu.

Administrative officer of the academy, Jeethendra Shetty, said the academy had brought 41 instructors to Mangalore from all across the country to ensure that the participants have a good time and also safe at that.