The month of October comes packed with a lot of action in the Himalayas for adventure sports events,and with paragliding back after a gap of one year,sports enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for the action to start on a high note. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said on Monday the Himalayan Open Paragliding Championship will be organised at Bir from October 29 to November 2 by the youth services and sports department. He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of Himachal Pradesh Women Sports Meet at Dharamsala in Kangra. Over 150 motorists will compete in the world toughest Raid-de-Himalayas car rally on weather-battered roads. The event will get under way on October 10,starting from Shimla and ending at Manali,after crossing through Lahaul-Spiti. On October 22 yet another adventure event of mountain terrain cycling event MTB Himachal will unfold. Mohit Sood,promoter of MTB Himachal,says: Over the last three years,the event has seen steady increase in participation. Mountain cycling is new to Himachal and India but this year we have 80 participants,which is highest in three years. The number of Indian participants has gone up,too,and this year four Himachalis will also compete along the 500-kilometre stretch starting and ending at Shimla,after touching Jalori pass. The cyclists will travel along the interiors of Himachal and spread the message of scientific plastic disposal, said Sood. Raid de Himalayas,which is into its tenth edition,attracts seasoned domestic and international rallyists to the state. On the paragliding front,a new site was expected to open up in Sirmour district,promising to bring more gliders to the state. But things are moving at a slow pace. Bir-Billing in Kangra district is rated as one of the finest sites in the world for paragliding. Uncertainty prevailing over the championship due to a ban on flying here during the Commonwealth Games,owing to security measures,had earlier thrown up worries for the gliders. The ban will be effective till October 20. Kangra Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Gandhi said: The civil aviation ministry has banned hang gliders and micro light aeroplanes within an aerial distance of 300 kilometres from Delhi. Billing Paragliding Association vice-president Suresh Thakur argued that the move was unjustified. The specified distance does not cover this site and the ban came unannounced,when the fliers from Britain,Germany and other countries are already camping here for the practice sessions, he said.
