The five-day National Paragliding Accuracy Championship concluded in Bageshwar with pilots from Uttarakhand delivering an impressive performance. A total of 92 pilots from across the country registered for the competition, out of which 78 took part in flight operations, while 55 pilots successfully completed all four rounds.
Pilots from Bhimtal dominated the championship. Manish Upreti secured first position, followed by Manish Bhandari at second place and Pankaj Kumar at third. The winners were awarded cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000 respectively, along with trophies. The prize distribution ceremony was held at Kedarnatheshwar Ground on Monday.
The championship also witnessed participation from five women pilots, four of whom were from the Kumaon region. Overall, Uttarakhand recorded the highest participation with 34 pilots representing the state, highlighting its growing presence in adventure sports.
Addressing the closing ceremony, former cabinet minister Balwant Singh Bhauryal said the region holds vast potential for adventure tourism. He stated that such national-level events help promote tourism and create new opportunities for local youth.
District Magistrate Akanksha Kondae, Superintendent of Police Chandrashekhar Ghodke, MP representative Vikram Shahi, Chief Development Officer R C Tiwari, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anil Chanyal, Executive Engineer PWD Amit Patel, Nagar Panchayat President Geeta Aithani, Block Pramukh Bhavna Shahi and District Tourism Officer P K Gautam were among the officials present during the event.
During the competition, DM Akanksha Kondae and SP Chandrashekhar Ghodke also undertook paragliding flights to encourage the participants. Organisers said that similar events will be held in the future to develop Bageshwar as a major hub for adventure tourism.
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Jagdish Joshi from Fly Himalaya said the mountain climate is ideal for adventure sports and informed that upcoming paragliding events are planned with take-off from Jalekh and landing at Kedarnatheshwar Ground.
