India’s trailblazing paragliding pilot shines across globe

Alisha Katoch, India’s first woman paraglider pilot to win medals at an international event, is participating in the Dhauladhar Paragliding Pre-Accuracy World Cup, underway at Narwana near Dharamsala. The 21-year-old, who hails from Bir in Mandi district, began flying in 2019 and became a regular flier by 2021.

This year, Alisha made the nation proud by winning three medals at the Paragliding World Championship in Kazakhstan. Though she missed the recent Paragliding World Cup in Bir, she is actively contributing to the ongoing festivities at Narwana.

Inspired by paragliders landing in her native village, Alisha pursued the sport with determination. “Watching paragliders motivated me to take up this challenging sport. With my coach’s guidance, I aim to bring more glory to India in world tournaments,” she shared. Despite her achievements, Alisha has yet to receive any government support and relies on her family’s backing to pursue her passion.

A graduate of Jogindernagar College, Alisha is honing her paragliding accuracy skills under the mentorship of Vijay Soni, Commissioner of India Paragliding. For the past year and a half, she has trained rigorously at Maharashtra’s premier paragliding school.

The ongoing Dhauladhar Paragliding Accuracy World Cup-2024, which began Saturday, has drawn 107 paraglider pilots from 13 countries, including India. Organised by the Adventure Sports Federation of Himachal Pradesh and the Narwana Adventure Club, the five-day event highlights India’s growing prominence in adventure sports.

Alisha’s journey showcases her resilience and passion, inspiring others to aim for new heights in the field of adventure sports.