Over 100 paragliders descend on Himachal’s Bir Billing, as World Cup takes off

Of the 148 applicants for the Paragliding World Cup 2024, 105 pilots have been shortlisted for the competition so far

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The World Cup will culminate on November 9. (File)

Pilots from across 31 countries will compete at the Paragliding World Cup (PWC India-2024), set to begin at Bir Billing, Kangra, on Saturday. Of the 148 applicants, 105 pilots have been shortlisted for the competition so far.

The Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) said the final list of the pilots will be released on Saturday before the world cup, the second to be held at Bir Billing, begins. The tournament will culminate on November 9.

The opening edition Paragliding World Cup, which was also India’s first, was held at Bir-Billing in 2015. Last year, a Paragliding Pre-World Cup was held at the venue, which is also the world’s second-highest.

BPA president Anurag Sharma said the technical team of the France-based Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA), which organises the world cups, will compile the final list on Saturday morning. “There will be a practice session on the first day (Saturday) and the competition tasks will be given from Sunday,” he said.

Sharma said full safety and rescue arrangements have been made to conduct the competition smoothly, adding, “The health department team will be ready at four places along with the landing site and take-off point and various volunteers of the organisation are ready to deal with any kind of difficult situation.”

A helicopter provided by the state government will also remain on standby, while the organisers have also contracted a private helicopter to ensure rapid response if needed.

The female participant who secures first place in the competition will receive €2,222, the runner-up €1,777, and the second runner-up €1,111. In the overall competition, the participant who secures third place will be awarded €2,222, the second-place finisher €2,777 and the overall winner €3,333.

Meanwhile, due to temporary suspension imposed by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) and PWCA, Russian pilots will not take part in the event. FAI is the world governing body for air sports. In 2022, FAI Executive Board suspended the NACs from Russia and Belarus and removed their rights to organise or participate in competitions, including paragliding. The suspension was because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the previous world cup held in 2015, many Russian pilots took part in the event.