Civil Aviation Minister P G Raju inaugurates AAI Paragliding World Cup

Dharamshala, October 23, 2015: A glittering cultural programme and lighting of the ceremonial lamp by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr P Gajapati Raju, at the world-famous Sherabling Monastery marked the beginning of the AAI Paragliding World Cup that will be held from October 24-31.

With most of the 130 pilots representing more than 35 countries taking part in the AAI Paragliding World Cup arriving in Bir, the mecca of aero-sport in the country bore a festive look in. Earlier in the morning a prayer ceremony was performed at the take off point in Billing for the safety of the participants.  

It is easily the biggest sporting event in terms of international participation and the number of sportspersons. With Aero Sports being extremely popular in these parts Bir and Billing was buzzing with excitement in anticipation on seeing the best pilots from around the world and India in action.

At the organisational level, the organisers of the event, Billing Paragliding Association, and title sponsor, Airports Authority of India, are leaving no stone unturned to deliver a classy event.

“We are expecting a huge turnout, way beyond our expectations” said Mr. Sudhir Sharma, President Billing Paragliding Association and also Minister for Town Planning and Tourism, Himachal Pradesh.“It is easily the biggest Aero Sports event in this part of Asia and with our site in Bir Billing being a natural for Paragliding there is a lot of interest,” he added.

Mr. Rajesh Srivastava, Sr. Vice President of BPA, added, “A lot of work has gone into this event and it will continue till the very end. It is a big challenge for Aero Sports and Paragliding and this will put us on the world map for Paragliding.”

He added, “Our safety systems and other technical aspects are all in place for the week-long event. I am confident that this event will give a massive boost to the sport in the country.”

The field at the AAI Paragliding World Cup is one of the strongest on the Tour. With three of the world’s top four, including one of the all-time greats, Julien Wirtz of France, who has been No. 1 in the world for 20 of the last 25months. He is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, one behind Vidic Jurij of Slovenia, who unseated Wirtz from No. 1 in spot in July before losing it himself.

Vidic Jurij (Slovenia), Julien Wirtz (France) and Torsten Siegel (Germany) hold the spots from second to fourth in the world and also in Europe. Another big name in the field is Frenchman Maxime Pinot, winner of the 2014Super Cup in Turkey, who is now No. 8 in the latest world rankings.

The Indian challenge will be lead by Ajay Kumar, who is the country’s one of the most experienced pilots. The Indian team comprising Ajay Kumar, Gurpreet Dhindsa, Jyoti Thakur, Arvind Pal, Prakash Chand, Gautam Nath and Sanjay Kumar is expected to perform well given that they enjoy the advantage of knowing the local conditions and have practiced in the region. The Indian team will enjoy a strong local support because five pilots belong to Himachal Pradesh.  

About Billing Paragliding Association

The Billing Paragliding Association formed in 2006 had successfully organised the Pre-World Cup of Paragliding at the same venue in 2013 to test the waters with extremely encouraging results and great response, which paved the way for the World Cup to be brought here.

The BPA is the only organization recognised by Aero Club of India, which in turn is the only body recognised by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the governing world body for air sports, and the Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA). The FAI was formed in 1905.

As a competitive sport, Paragliding has already featured in some Games 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 will now be considered for the 2024 Olympic Games.

About Bir Billing

Bir Billing is considered the second best paragliding spot in the world and steps have been taken to develop infrastructure of international standards for the championship. The take-off and landing areas are being completely redone, and state-of-the-art facilities are being built for the paragliders, officials and spectators alike.

About Airports Authority of India

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the Title Sponsors and will actively promote the sport and the event through various avenues and platforms to be announced soon. The AAI has also taken up the task of promoting Adventure Sports and help build an additional avenue for Tourism.

About 130 of the best paragliders, including those in World’s Top-5, from over 40 countries are set to participate in the championship, which will put India firmly on the global paragliding map.

During the week-long tournament, the edge of competitive sport during the day will give way for some fun and frolic in the evenings, with specially-themed programmes being planned for each evening. The gala opening and the closing ceremonies promise to be extravaganzas, adding their own colour to the World Cup.