Jeeps and off-road rallies hold a prominent place among Kodava youth. In this context, Chow Ujjal Namshun and his co-driver, Uddapanda Chethan Chengappa, having won the 2026 Rainforest Challenge India (RFC India), held at Goa, in the flagship 4×4 Extreme category, successfully defending their title in the premier off-road competition, is commendable.
Racing for Manabhum Off-roader’s Club Arunachal (Team MOCA), the duo secured 2,253 points out of a possible 2,600 to finish at the top of the standings. This marks their second victory in the challenging off-road event, which attracted a total of 62 teams this year.
After a difficult start to the competition, the defending champions steadily improved their performance and moved into the lead on Day 4, eventually retaining their title with a strong overall performance.
Kranthi Kumar Vengala and his co-driver Rajeev Lal of Team Hyderabad, who had led the competition in its early stages, finished second overall with 2,052 points.
Vidyesh Madgaonkar and Sahil Sadekar of Team 4×4 Addictz Goa secured third place on the podium with 1,962 points.
 
Meanwhile, Virajpet MLA Ajjikuttira S. Ponnanna felicitated and congratulated Chengappa, a resident of the Ammathi, for his outstanding achievement in the international-level competition and bringing laurels to the country.
In the 4×4 Stock category, Kongettira Bopaiah and his co-driver Maleyanda Bopanna finished as the first runners-up, while Prarthan Chittiyappa and Anush Byramudi secured the second runners-up position.
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