Etisalat Provides Internet Connectivity in the Jungle for the Taprobana 4x4

Etisalat was the proud principle sponsor of the Taprobana 4x4 Challenge 2011, which took place on the on the 7th October 2011. The support extended beyond the basic parameters of a sponsorship, by aiding The Four Wheel Drive (FWD) Club of Sri Lanka in its endeavors and providing internet coverage in the middle of think jungle courses passing the Khambana Village in the Monaragala District.

The Taprobana 4x4 Challenge marked a milestone in Sri Lankan FWD adventure sport with this year’s race becoming the first Sri Lankan 4x4 event to be a part of the international Rain Forest Challenge (RFC) circuit.

Team 161, Loo Foo Siong & Edward Benggon of Malaysia, finished first overall as the race’s addition to the RFC attracted more international exposure and an influx of international competitors. The foreign drivers who participated praised Sri Lanka for both the beauty of its jungle trails and the challenging difficulty of the tracks.

Etisalat CEO, Dumindra Ratnayaka, commented on their role saying, “We were proud to be principal sponsors of the Taprobana 4x4 Challenge. We have always supported sport in Sri Lanka and using our groundbreaking technological innovations we provided internet access on the remote jungle courses, allowing competitors to update their status in real time. We are the first to ever provide this service despite the myriad of countries where these races are contested like India, Thailand and Malaysia.”

The president of the Four Wheel Drive Club, Mr. Prashan Wijayanayake, commented on the success of this year’s event, ‘We organized this event not only because we are enthusiasts promoting our sport but also because we want to build Sri Lanka as a 4x4 adventure tourism destination. The positive feedback on both the beauty of the Sri Lankan Jungle and the technical skill required to navigate our courses is an indication of our success, we’re very pleased.”