Bharath Thammineni, 36-year-old mountaineer from Andhra Pradesh, became first Indian to summit nine of world’s 14 highest peaks above 8,000 metres after climbing Mt Cho Oyu (8,188m) on October 13, 2025, without Sherpa support. He had reached Cho Oyu base camp in China on September 30. "This isn’t just personal achievement...but testament to potential of Indian adventure sports," he said.