Paragliding World Cup at Bir-Billing in October

Ravinder Sood

PALAMPUR, February 9

The Bir-Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) has decided to hold World Cup Paragliding International Championship at Bir-Billing in Kangra valley in October this year. However, 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), said that the BPA had already started preparation for the event being organized after a gap of six years. He said the BPA had applied to the Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA) for notification of the event on its calendar.

The PWCA is an international agency that organizes such global adventurous events and makes a selection of pilots. Anurag Sharma said the BPA would also seek cooperation from the state government and the Tourism Department in holding the event.

Sudhir Sharma, MLA and chairman of BPA and former Urban Development Minister, was instrumental in holding this international event at Billing for the first time, bringing Bir-Billing on the world map.

However, with the change of guard at Shimla in the year 2017, the event could not be held for many years.

The BJP government did not show any interest in holding paragliding event. In the year 2019, it was cancelled because of Covid-19 crisis and later because of Investors Meet at Dharamsala.

Earlier, the Virbhadra Singh government organized World Cup Championship for the first time in 2016.

Over 300 Indian and foreign pilots are expected to participate in the championship.