Jamil Messanger of Great Britain and Klaudia Bulga Kow of Poland win Pre-World Cup Paragliding

Dharamsala, October 30, 2013: Jamil Messanger of Great Britain bagged first position in the Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship and was given cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakh alongwith gold medallion and a trophy.  
In women category, Klaudia Bulga Kow of Poland won the first prize and was given a cash prize of Rs. 75,000 alongwith a trophy.
In the Indian category, Ajay Kumar Sharma was adjudged best and was given cash prize of Rs. 1.10 lakh besides the new talent prize was bagged by Kamal Kishore of India.
In the Sports Class category Jim Mallinson of UK was given cash award of Rs.75,000 alongwith a trophy.
Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship was concluded at Bir in Kangra district on Wednesday. 107 pilots including 12 women pilots from all over the country and abroad participated in the event. Pilots from 25 countries took part in the event.
Presiding over the closing ceremony of this weeklong Paragliding Pre-World Cup Championship at Bir in Kangra district, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said, “Billing is  a world famous site where paragliders from all over the world come to experience the beauty of the valley as well as paragliding.  It was the Congress Government in 2003 when the Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship was started in Bir-Billing.”
CM said that the state government is endeavoured to promote adventure sports in a big way and announced Rs. 10 lakh for  Bir Billing Paragliding Association for promoting the same.
He hoped that the event would continue in the same spirit in future also and more participants from abroad would be motivated.
Virbhadra Singh said, “To promote paragliding, the matter regarding setting up of National Institute of Paragliding and Adventure Sports at Bir would be taken up with Government of India.”
Chief Minister said that efforts would be made to acquire and develop appropriate land for a golf course comprising of 18 holes at Bir so that it could become all season sports destination.
Sudhir Sharma, Urban Development Minister, Himachal Pradesh who is also the President of Bir Billing Paragliding Association said, “The Association was placed at third position in Japan Pre-World Cup Championship in 2009 which was sponsored by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) under the guidance of Virbhadra Singh. He thanked Neo Sports Channel for telecasting the event world over. He said that Billing had been adjudged as one of the Best Paragliding take off site in world after South Africa. www.cityairnews.com

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