The Rainforest Challenge – one of the toughest off-road competitions in the world, will host its Indian chapter in the forests of Southern Goa from August 8-14.

First launched in Malaysia in 1997, India will become the eighth country to host the gruelling off-road event, after Italy, Australia, Russia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tunisia, and China.

Pune-based Force Motors will be the title sponsor the event, which will be called the ‘Force Gurkha Rainforest Challenge India 2014’.

Force Motor’s Managing Director, Mr. Prasan Firodia said “For Force Gurkha there could have been no better synergy than this extreme off-roading event. The RFC India 2014 is a great platform for the Force Gurkha. I believe the off-roading community in India is ready for intense challenges and now has a global platform to test their mettle and raise their skill levels.”

The event is aiming to maintain the extreme, challenging conditions synonymous with the original event held in Malaysia. Competitors will be subjected to incessant rain, steep slippery slopes, deep ruts, gullies, flooded rivers, and landslides, all with interesting and unpredictable twists.

There will be four levels of increasing difficulties; Prologue, Predator, Terminator and Twilight. The participants have to complete all 30 Special Stages across a multitude of obstacles, to be declared as overall winners. However given the fact that the event is in its first year in India, the seven classes and two overall rankings – with one for foreign entries and another for Indian entries – have been kept flexible.

The winning team will get a shot at the main Rainforest Challenge held in Malaysia.