By Vishal Gulati

With work on at Bir Billing, situated at a height of 2,290 metres in Kangra district, about 300 km from Shimla, the annual pre-world cup paragliding championship this year has been called off.

Arun Sharma, director of tourism department, said the site would be developed so that at least 100 gliders can take off at one time. Right now, 30 to 40 gliders can take off together. The landing site at Bir is also being improved.

The central government has already sanctioned Rs.1.27 crore for the purpose.

"After developing the sites, our claims for hosting world paragliding event would be strengthened," Sharma told IANS.

Bir-Billing in the Dhauladhar mountain range is known as one of the finest aero sports sites in the world and its name has been included in international paragliding circuits.

More than 100 gliders, including 48 foreigners, participated in the championship held in October 2008. The participants included 10 women.

"We are developing the Bir-Billing aero site as per international standards fixed by the Paragliding World Championship Association. So we are not holding the paragliding event this year," Sharma said, adding, "But the Paragliding Association is free to hold the event if it ensures better standards of safety to the gliders."

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department, the organiser of the annual pre-world cup paragliding championship at Bir-Billing, has decided not to hold the meet this year.

A local association, Paragliding Association, has decided to hold the meet on its own.

With the initiative of the Paragliding Association, a large number of dare-devils, especially from abroad, have converged on the site to participate in the four-day meet beginning Nov 5.

"As Bir-Billing is attracting a large number of gliders every year to participate in the event, we have decided to hold the meet at our own level to quench the thirst of the adventure lovers," association president Suresh Thakur told IANS on phone.

"So far 40 foreigners and 10 Indian gliders have got themselves registered for the competitions. The number of participants would, of course, increase in the days to come," he said.

Currently, 10 gliders from Britain and four from Russia are practising for the event.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at [email protected])

-- Indo-Asian News Service