A pilot-organised competition is set to replace the traditional state-sponsored Pre-Paragliding World Cup competition in Bir, north India, this year.
The Himalayan Open will run 4 – 9 November, and will replace the cancelled Pre-PWC which was scheduled for 20 – 25 October.
The Open will be run by Debu Chaudhary as meet director, with Vijay Soni as assistant. An application to the FAI is in process to give the event Cat 2 standing.
Why the Pre-PWC was cancelled is still unclear. However, it is understood the local government withdrew its support and funding for the competition.
A report from news agency Asian News International quoted Arun Sharma, the director of the tourism department in Himachel Pradesh, who said: “Last year it was decided that subsequent [paragliding] events would only be held after the association is properly registered with the international body.”
It is not clear what association had to be properly registered with which international body for the event to have gone ahead.
ANI added that the valley would suffer financially as a result. Joti Thakur, a local pilot, said: “When people come from all over the country and the world, there is a lot of income to the locals like taxi people and hoteliers.”
The Pre-PWC was cancelled in late August. Two weeks later the pilot-run competition was on the cards.
Bruce Mills, a New Zealand pilot who lives in Bir for much of the year told Cross Country the competition would be a “smaller, non-government run comp”.
He added: “We’re hoping that as the first comp truly organised by pilots we’ll finally be laying the foundations for future PWC meetings.”
Entry opens on 5 October.
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- Buddhist monks on the paragliding launch at the Pre-PWC 2008. Photograph: Ed Ewing
