Adventure Sports Boosted By Manali Paragliding Event
The four-day Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup has commenced at Solang Nala in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, featuring 42 pilots from multiple countries. The event, inaugurated by Minister Rajesh Dharmani, aims to promote adventure sports and tourism in the regi…
Manali's picturesque Solang Nala is currently hosting the four-day Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup, attracting international pilots and boosting adventure tourism in Himachal Pradesh.
The four-day Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup kicked off at Solang Nala in the tourist town of Manali in Himachal's Kullu district on Friday.
Minister for Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training, and Town and Country Planning, Rajesh Dharmani inaugurated the event. He also took the opportunity to go paragliding during his visit.
The event, organised by the Manali Paragliding Association, is being held at Solang Nala, which is renowned for its natural beauty and adventure tourism activities, for the first time and 42 pilots from India, Nepal, China, Turkey, Indonesia, and South Korea are participating.
President of the Paragliding Association Vedram Thakur on Friday said that strict safety standards would be maintained throughout the championship and only pilots certified by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) are eligible to compete.
Thakur explained that the Pre-World Cup features contests across two main categories, with teams from the Indian Air Force, Army, and paramilitary forces also participating.
Dharmani said that such competitions promote adventure sports in Himachal and boost tourist footfall at various destinations. The state government allocates funds for such activities and undertakes various initiatives to encourage sports, he added.
During the competition, pilots will take off from Fatru and land at Solang Nala. The spectacle of pilots soaring through the sky from an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet will be a sight to behold.
The wind speed here is quite high, which will make the competition challenging, said pilots Ankush and Sajan.
