Himachal all set to host first Paragliding WC in South Asia

World’s top paragliders and aero-sports enthusiasts have started charting out their itinerary for the month of October. The first paragliding world cup is being organised at Kangra Valley’s <g data-gr-id="31">Bir Billing</g> peak from October 23 to 31 and the trophy was unveiled on Monday in New Delhi. 

The week-long event, which will see a veritable feast of Aero Sports at one of the most natural locations for the sport at <g data-gr-id="35">Bir Billing</g>, about 40 km from Kangra, will see three of the four world’s top-ranked pilots, besides the top-3 from Oceania-Asia and top-2 from Africa and one of the most successful woman pilots in a field that has 130 pilots from over 35 countries.

The event sponsored by Airports Authority of India, which has taken upon itself to promote and push Adventure Sports in India, also has a host of other sponsors.

The event will be held at <g data-gr-id="27">Bir Billing</g> from October 23-31. The venue Bir-Billing often referred to as a “Paradise for Paragliders” is considered one of best launch sites for the sport in the world. While announcing the participation of the world’s best 130 pilots, including an Indian team of seven pilots, the organisers also unveiled the customised AAI Paragliding World Cup Trophy and the mascot, which is the Snow Leopard, the state animal of Himachal Pradesh.

A range of colourful merchandise to be worn by the Indian national team and also to be sold at the <g data-gr-id="37">event,</g> was on Monday released as well.

R K Srivastava, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, said, “We are extremely pleased to be associated with the Paragliding World Cup. For quite some <g data-gr-id="40">time</g> we were looking for a sport that was in sync with our specialisation, which is aviation. And paragliding fits perfectly with that. <g data-gr-id="39">Also</g> Adventure Sports has become hugely popular among youth. We plan to start with paragliding and take Adventure Sports in India to a new level.”

Supported by Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Preity Zinta, director/producer Mahesh Bhatt and cricketer Yuvraj Singh, the World Cup also aims to take the sport across India and promote Tourism through Adventure Sports.

During the course of the week, the Organisers have also planned daily festivals to showcase tourism and history and culture of Himachal Pradesh and India. One of the highlights of the week will also be Tandem Flights for children with special needs. They will be taken into the skies by experienced pilots and given a unique “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.