The Dhauladhar Paragliding Accuracy Cup wrapped up yesterday at the Narwana Paragliding Site in Dharamsala, highlighting impressive performances from Indian paragliders. Akshay, hailing from Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, took first place in the men’s category, while Tarannum Thakur emerged as the top female competitor. The “Fly in Sky” team from Narwana won the team event.
This five-day competition was organized by the Adventure Sports Federation of Himachal Pradesh (ASF) and the Narwana Adventure Club. It featured participants from various sectors, including pilots from India, the Indian Army, Air Force, Assam Rifles, as well as international competitors from Spain, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and the USA.
During the closing ceremony, BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma served as the chief guest and presented awards to the top three finishers. In the men’s category, David from Spain secured second place, while Aman Thapa from Nepal came in third. In the women’s category, Alisha Katoch claimed second place and Jean from the USA finished third. In the team competition, Kazakhstan took second place, with India finishing third.
MLA Sudhir Sharma announced plans to host a World Cup event at the Narwana site in the future, aiming to establish Dharamsala as a prominent destination for adventure sports. He also criticized delays in government development projects. Tarannum Thakur praised the Narwana site for its suitability for accuracy paragliding and encouraged young people to participate in such events. She emphasized the need to focus on competitive paragliding rather than commercial flying.
Men’s champion Akshay, who has been paragliding since 2017, shared his experiences flying in Dharamsala, Ladakh, and Shimla. He highlighted the potential for growth in adventure sports within the region.
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