"His mother does not know" Chingkheiganba's father

IMPHAL, May 18: Speaking to IFP over the phone, N Chingkheiganba's father said it was a momentous occasion for him. His voice brimming with excitement and emotions. Nameirakpam Tomba who is now a Pradhan of the Patsoi Gram Panchayat and incidentally a founder member of the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA) said how in the late 80's MMTA had first dreamt about scaling Mount Everest. "But then,we had no sponsors and no backing," says Tomba who underwent a basic course in mountaineering in Himachal Pradesh in 1984 and an advanced course at the Himalaya Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling in 1985.

Interestingly, N Chingkheinganba is the eldest and the only son in the family with a younger sister. "I have been on tentherhooks since the expedition team reached base camp. I have been part of mountaineering expeditions and know exactly about how tough the conditions are. I have not been able to sleep or eat properly but when I heard the news that Chingkheinganba had reached the summit, I felt as if I had set foot on top of the world," says the father adding that his wife Nameirakpam Ongbi Savitri is still being kept in the dark about where their son is. "Both my son and myself agreed that it was best not to inform her or she would have been emotional about sending her only son to Everest," he laughs out loud.

Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba undertook a special basic course from the National Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi 2012 and then went on to be a part of two pre-Everest expeditions all in the same year. He had set out for the Everest Expedition after appearing for his final class XI examinations at Kanan Devi Memorial School.