New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): The Indian Army and a private agency CLAW Global have received over 1400 applications for their Soul of Steel - Himalayan Challenge 2023 project, the official said on Sunday.

"A total of 1,401 applicants including 94 women have applied to get trained and participate in the inaugural Soul of Steel Challenge," Indian Army officials said.

Under Soul of Steel, a joint training team of CLAW GLOBAL and the Indian Army will train a select team of 24 boys and girls in rock craft, ice craft and snow craft, besides navigation, communication, self-defence, survival, and emergency medical skills.

Amid the government push for developing border infrastructure, the challenge was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 14th January this year in presence of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and Uttarakhand government functionaries.

Speaking on the applications received in response se to the challenge, Major. Vivek Jacob (retd), CLAW Global's Founder said, "This reinforces our conviction that there is a huge appetite for adventure sports and life skills among the youth of India."He said that through Soul of Steel, efforts are to catalyse their journey towards becoming conscious, productive, and exponential citizens of our country.

"We look forward to do our bit in showcasing the immense potential of the Indian Himalayas as a global destination for adventure and wellness seekers worldwide," he said.

CLAW, a team of Indian Special Forces veterans with multiple specialisations in mountaineering, skydiving, SCUBA diving, unarmed combat, multi-terrain survival tech, and emergency medical response will spearhead the challenge. (ANI)