KATHMANDU: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav today felicitated world cyclist Pushkar Shah for his arduous round the world tour.

In a felicitation programme jointly organised by KIST Bank and Nepal World Cyclist Academy at the President’s office, Dr Yadav said the tour of Shah has established identity of the country in the world. “The 11 years of mystical world tour of Shah has strengthened the voice of world peace and presented Nepal as one of the forerunners of global peace,” said the President.

The 41 years cyclist from Dolakha started his journey more than a decade ago. In the ceremony, Shah presented a souvenir, which was embroidered by the flags of the 150 countries he travelled.

Shah, who finished his tour in August in Croatia, said it was a different experience to travel around the world with ups and downs. “I was let down in some places while there were also the moments when I was given a warm hospitality,” he said.

The cyclist, who covered the distance of 222,2000km, was also robbed during the tour. But the cyclist didn’t give up hope though he had to strive of hunger for some days after he was broke.

The cyclist used three cycles during his tour after he lost his first cycle in New Zealand in 2001. Sir Edmund Hillary, the most intimate friend of Nepal who conquered the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, along with Tenzing Norge Sherpa, presented him with a new bicycle. Recalling the moment when he was helped by Hillary, Shah said that was the time when he was really satisfied of his journey.

The most interesting part of his story is that he came back with the 100 rupees given by his mother before the start of the journey. “My mother had given me the money when I set out. It’s not the money you require to reach a goal. It’s the will power which helped me all the way,” he proudly revealed.

Shah has completed a historic tour, but it is still not enough for him. He has decided to climb the Mt Everest next year. Shah said he would take the flags of the 150 nations he travelled along with the flags of Nepal and the United Nations. The unstoppable ambassador of the world peace said: “It is for the world peace.”