Jaipur, Aug 16 (IANS): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday presented the champions trophy to the Indian Army team which won the 5th Army International Scout Masters Competition held at Jaisalmer Military Station from August 6 to 14 in which teams from Armenia, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Sudan and Uzbekistan also participated.

The Indian Army team was selected and trained under the aegis of Southern Command.

The closing Ceremony of the Fifth Army International Scout Masters Competition was held in Jaisalmer on Friday in which Rajnath Singh was the chief guest.

The ceremony was attended by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General S.K. Saini, Southern Army Commander, delegations of participating countries, members of the International Organising Committee and several civilian and military dignitaries.

The closing ceremony commenced with a smart ceremonial marching of the participating contingents. Singh addressed the participants and welcomed the representatives of the International Organising Committee, dignitaries and other guests.

He also lauded Southern Command for the flawless and successful conduct of the event and appreciated the sportsman spirit, dedication and the professional standards displayed by all the teams in the competition.

He also said that such competitions are an excellent platform to allow countries to build a constructive dialogue, strengthening friendship, partnership and trust.

"Such joint military events would lead to interoperability and sharing of best practices, benefiting all the participating nations," he added.

At the end, the Fifth Army International Scout Masters Competition 2019 was declared closed by Singh. Thereafter the prize distribution ceremony took place wherein the Defence Minister gave away the Champions Trophy to the winning Indian team, Runners Up Trophy to Uzbekistan and the Second Runners Up trophy to Russia.

The closing ceremony culminated with a cultural programme to depict the rich cultural heritage of India.

The participating countries and teams were highly appreciative of the conduct, arrangements and hospitality extended to them during the entire duration of their stay at Jaisalmer, said Col Sombit Ghosh, PRO (Defence), Rajasthan.