Palampur: Paragliding championship gets off to a rousing start

Palampur, April 5

Raghubir Singh Bali, MLA and chairman, HP State Tourism Development Corporation, inaugurated the Pre-International Paragliding Accuracy World Cup Championship by flagging off pilots from the Billing launch site here today. Despite overcast conditions, the pilots took to skies amidst cheers of encouragement from the crowds present there.

A total of 103 pilots representing more than one dozen countries took off from Billing in the championship that will conclude on April 9.

“The picturesque setting of Bir Billing provides a

perfect backdrop for the biggest aero sport event of the country starting at Billing today,” said Bali while addressing the pilots amid enthusiastic gathering.

The Bir Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) is the organiser of the event, while the HP State Tourism Department is the title sponsor.

Bali said the state government was confident that the Pre-International Paragliding World Cup Accuracy Championship would take the adventure sport to the next level and the state government would make efforts to hold the World Cup Championship at Bir Billing next year.

In the five-day championship top ranking pilots from India, the USA, Nepal, Spain and the Netherlands are participating. Ten pilots from Indian Army, one each from Navy and Air Force and five from the paramilitary are also participating.

Anurag Sharma, president of Bir Billing Paragliding Association (BPA), said the BPA was formed in the year 2006 and had successfully organised the Pre-World Cup of Paragliding here in 2013.

“The association is the only organisation recognised by the Aero Club of India, which, in turn, is the only body recognised by Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body for air sports, and the Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA),” he added. The FAI was formed in 1905.

As a competitive sport, paragliding has featured in some big events like the South-East Asian Games and the Asian Beach Games. Paragliding was also short-listed in the initial list of new events for the 2020 Olympics but is now likely to be considered for the 2024 Olympic Games.