No paragliding WC at Billing this year, pilots unable to travel

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, November 20

There will be no International Paragliding World Cup Championship at Billing this year, as the state government has expressed its inability to host the event owing to Covid-19 crisis.

As per the sources, most of the foreign pilots are unable to come to Bir Billing, as limited international flights are operating. Moreover, Indian pilots have also not expressed interest in participating in the event.

The international event is hosted in October or November every year in Bir Billing, in which hundreds of foreign Indian pilots take part. Last year also, the world cup was cancelled, following the investors meet in Dharmshala during these months.

The international event is organised jointly by the Tourism Department and the SDM, Baijnath, who is also the chairman, Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Bir Billing. Earlier, during the Congress regime, a private agency — Bir Billing Para Gliding Association (BPA) — organised the event, but after the change of the government in 2017, the responsibility of holding the championship was given to the Tourism Department and the SADA. In 2018, the event was organised for the first time under the leadership of the SDM, Baijnath, from October 24 to 30.

Official sources said a Paris-based agency, PWCA, which organises global adventure events had not notified the dates of the International Paragliding World Cup Championship in its calendar. If the situation improved, the state could hold the event in March or April next year, said a senior officer of the state government.