Two teams from Coorg battled hostile terrain and energy sapping weather to return home triumphant from the 8th Palar Challenge which was held in Cheyar near Kanchipuram.
It was a 3 days team based event consisting of 6 people in 3 vehicles, there were a total of 12 teams (36 vehicles) the first days competition was held in the Cheyar river bed with lots of sand climbs and drops.
The second day was held in a private stone quarry which involved lots of winching and careful driving so as to clear the obstacles. The 3rd day was again sand in the Palar river bed which consisted of soft sand with long and steep climbs and drops where the less powerful vehicles could not make it to the top. There were 2 teams from Coorg. The team comprising of Kongettira Bopaiah and Ichettira Nanaiah, Paruvangada Poonacha & Konganda Karumbaiah & Sannuvanda Michu and Maleyanda Bopanna got the overall 2nd position. Nanaiah, Karumbaiah and Bopanna also took home the ‘best spotters award’.
The other team from Coorg comprising of Maletira Jagat Nanjappa and Uddapanda Chetan, Sibi Paul and Kotera Nikil and B.K.Ganapathy and Sagar also performed well and secured 4th position overall.
In the individual special stage held in the end Jagat Nanjappa placed first, chetan second and sibi paul third.
if not for the unfortunate punctures, winch failures, prop shaft breakages and other mechanical issues the two teams would have come back as overall champions. The participants had to brave the extreme hot weather on all three days.
