5-day Paragliding Pre-World Cup begins in Dharamsala

The five-day Dhauladhar Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup began at Narwana near Dharamsala today. The competition would conclude on November 20 and 107 paragliders from 13 countries had registered for it.

Narwana has been developed as a new paragliding landing site near Dharamsala in Kangra district. It is fast coming up as a second paragliding site in Kangra district after the world-famous site at Bir-Billing.

Last year also, the Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup was organised at the Narwana paragliding site and paragliders from India and abroad had participated in it. The current landing site at Narwana is on private land.

Dharamsala MLA Sudhir Sharma, who is the patron of the Nirwana Paragliding Society, said that there were people’s houses near the landing site, so with the aim of ensuring that paragliding activities were held throughout the year when the weather was clear, the work on a new landing site had started.

Sharma, while replying to questions regarding the participation of paragliders from Ukraine and Russia, said that the ongoing war was an issue between the two countries. The international organisation decides which paragliders to be allowed to participate in the competition or not.

Sharma said that due to diplomatic relations, whatever decision the international organisation takes would be acceptable to them. “We do not have any objection to paragliders from any country participating in the Pre-World Cup as free fliers,” he added.

He said that next year, a big paragliding event would be organised at Narwana. A new landing site was also being prepared, which is very big. “The current landing site is between houses and fields. Our aim is to get ready the new landing site so that adventure activities like paragliding can continue throughout the year. As the current landing site is in fields, difficulties are faced in organising paragliding activities,” he added.