Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday said that Bir was one of the world’s best Paragliding site and initially Paragliding started here on a small scale hoping that more pilots will participate in this event in the future.
Presiding over the closing ceremony of the week-long Paragliding World cup Championship organised by Bir-Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) at Bir-Billing in district Kangra, he said that more facilities would be provided to the paragliders in times to come. He also welcomed the foreign nationals who participated in the event and said that Bir-Billing would be made a world class site for the sports lovers and the visitors.
The Chief Minister said more Himachali players should get adapted to the game and excel themselves in various sports thereby bringing laurels to the State. Around 129 pilots from 31 countries, including eight Indians participated in this event.
He also announced the completion of 18 hole Golf course at Bir for which the project work had already been completed. The Chief Minister also announced renaming of Chogan-Kyor road in Bir as Pandit Sant Ram Marg.
Earlier, the Chief Minister laid foundation stone of the National Institute of Paragliding at Bir to cost rupees Nine crore. This Institute would be first of its kind in the country in the Public sector.
Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, who is also the Chairman
of BPA, detailed about the week long world cup Paragliding activities.
He said that it was a matter of pride for Himachal Pradesh that such a big event was hosted here in which 129 Pilots from around the globe including the countries like USA, France, Israel, Germany, Switzerland etc.