The fitness and tribute challenge in honor of Kargil war heroes reached new heights on July 5th, when State Bank of India DMD, Binod Kumar Mishra, flagged off the third phase of the SBI Kargil Tiger Hill Challenge at the Drass War Memorial. The event was attended by local citizens and soldiers from the Indian Army.

Binod Kumar Mishra expressed gratitude for the Indian Army’s contributions to making India a strong and secure nation. Major Surendra Poonia, VSM, founder of Fitistan-Ek Fit Bharat, also praised the State Bank of India and its team for supporting India’s largest tribute fitness challenge. He urged the youth of the nation to visit the sacred land of Drass and the Kargil War Memorials, where brave soldiers shed their blood defending our motherland.

The SBI Kargil Tiger Hill Challenge, which began on May 3rd and will culminate on Kargil Vijay Diwas, is an 85-day virtual fitness challenge with over 21,000 Indian citizens participating. Kargil war hero and Paramveer Chakra recipient Captain Yogendra Yadav serves as the ambassador for this challenge. All participants will receive an e-certificate signed by him. This challenge aims to bring the country's citizens closer to the Armed Forces and promote fitness.

This initiative, a first of its kind by the State Bank of India in collaboration with Fitistan - Ek Fit Bharat, supports Prime Minister Modi’s Fit India Movement. The challenge is a virtual walking fitness challenge dedicated to and in remembrance of the 527 brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil war.

Participants will go through a series of milestones (steps/phases) to complete this fitness challenge over 85 days, from May 3, 2024, to July 26, 2024, reflecting the 85 days of the Kargil war. Registration for the challenge opened to the Indian public on April 22 and lasted until June 25. To participate, individuals need to register on the Fitistan app, available on the Google Play Store. There is no fee to participate in this challenge.

The SBI Kargil Tiger Hill Challenge is divided into four phases:

Phase-1: Preparation for Kargil War (First 30 Days) Participants must complete a minimum of 5,000 steps daily, totaling 150,000 steps by June 1.

Phase-2: March to Kargil Participants who complete 150,000 steps by June 1 qualify for this stage. For the next 30 days, they need to complete 7,500 steps daily, totaling 225,000 steps by July 1.

Phase-3: Assault on Tiger Hill (July 2 to July 25) Participants need to complete a minimum of 10,000 steps daily, covering at least 240,000 steps by July 25.

Phase-4: On Top of Tiger Hill on Kargil Vijay Diwas (July 26) - Final Day Participants celebrate Kargil Victory with 15,000 steps. Over 85 days, a minimum of 630,000 steps must be completed to finish the challenge.

Captain Yogendra Yadav, Paramveer Chakra winner of the Kargil War, is the ambassador of the SBI Kargil Tiger Hill Challenge. A total of 21,000 Indians are participating from across the country.