Bir-Billing to host Paragliding WC in October

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, June 25

The Bir-Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) will host the World Cup Paragliding International Championship at Bir-Billing in Kangra valley in October. The dates of the event are yet to be notified by the Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA).

Anurag Sharma, president of Bir-Billing Paragliding Association (BPA), while talking to The Tribune today said the BPA had already started preparations for the big event. He said the Paris-headquartered PWCA — an international agency that organises global events and selects best pilots — would notify the dates of the World Cup in its calendar. The BPA had already received clearances from different agencies for the event, he added.

Anurag Sharma said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had assured full support to BPA in holding the event. He said the state Tourism Department would be a partner in the event and it had assured all assistance.

The BPA president said the CM would be the chief guest at the event, where over 300 foreign and domestic pilots are expected to take part. The registration will be open soon and details pertaining to the registration fee for the pilots will be made available at the BPA website.

He said for the first time a Bir-Billing carnival would be organised on the sidelines of the World Cup. Earlier, it was hosted in Manali.

Gokul Butail, Information and Technology Adviser to Chief Minister, said, “The International Paragliding Championship will give a boost to the tourism industry of Kangra, as the CM had already announced to make district the tourism capital of the state.” He said the government was extending full cooperation to the BPA and the Tourism Department for the event.

“The state government has laid special stress on the safety and security of the pilots. No pilot will be allowed to participate in the event without proper documents. A expert team will scrutinise the documents of the pilots. An insurance cover for all participants has been made mandatory. The organisers have been directed to adhere to takeoff and landing timings to avoid any mishap,” Gokul Butail said.