Bir: Paragliding Pre-World Cup Championship at Bir in Kangra district concluded today, in which Jamil Messanger of Great Britain bagged first position. Klaudia Bulga Kow of Poland won women category and Ajay Kumar Sharma won in Indian category.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh presided over the closing ceremony of Paragliding Pre-World Cup and while addressing at the ceremony Singh said that the State Government was endeavoured to promote adventure sports in a big way and announced Rs. 10 lakh for Bir Billing Paragliding Association for promoting the same.
Chief Minister said that Billing was a world famous site where paragliders from all over the world come to experience the beauty of the valley as well as paragliding. He said that it was the Congress Government in 2003 when the Pre-World Cup Paragliding Championship was started in Bir-Billing. He hoped that the event would continue in the same spirit in future also and more participants from abroad would be motivated.
He said that in order 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.
Virbhadra Singh also lauded the efforts of the local youth who besides promoting the game were also training the budding pilots to adopt paragliding as a hobby and as an avocation.
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.
Virbhadra Singh announced to give Rs. 50,000 to the Tibetan students who presented a colourful cultural programme on the occasion.
Sudhir Sharma, Urban Development Minister who is also the President of Bir Billing Paragliding Association welcomed the Chief Minister on the occasion. He said that the Association was placed at third position in Japan Pre-World Cup Championship in 2009 which was sponsored by Steel Authority of India Ltd. (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.
Agriculture Minister Sujan Singh Pathania, MLAs Ajay Mahajan, Kishori Lal, Sanjay Rattan, Pawan Kajal, former MP Chander Kumar, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank Jagdish Sipahiya, Vice Chairman, H.P. Forest Development Corporation Kewal Singh Pathania, Ex MLA Surender Kaku, Vice President, Billing Paragliding Association Suresh Thakur, Director, Billing Paragliding Association Anurag Sharma, Deputy Commissioner C. Parlasu, Superintendent of Police Balbir Thakur, senior officers and prominent people of the area were also present on the occasion.
