Bir-Billing Paragliding World Cup Grounded for 2025
Adventure lovers and paragliding pros from around the world will have to strike Bir-Billing off their calendars this year. The much-anticipated International Paragliding World Cup Championship, usually held in the crisp autumn skies of Himachal Pradesh, has been quietly shelved for 2025 — and the silence from the state government and Tourism Department is deafening.
For the hundreds of pilots who soar over Bir’s breathtaking valleys each year, the news comes as a bitter blow. More than 300 participants from India and abroad were expected to compete in the event, which has grown into a marquee moment for global paragliding since its full-fledged debut in 2015.
But this year, there’s been no word from the government. Anurag Sharma, president of the Bir-Billing Paragliding Association (BPA), confirmed that despite repeated outreach, no official communication has come through. “We’ve tried contacting senior officials, but there’s been no response,” he said.
The Paris-based Paragliding World Cup Association (PWCA), which oversees the international circuit, has also left Bir-Billing off its 2025 schedule. Without an application from India, the event simply didn’t make the cut.
It wasn’t always this way. Before 2017, the BPA ran smaller pre-World Cup competitions. But under former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the event gained full World Cup status, catapulting Bir-Billing into the global spotlight and giving a major boost to local tourism.
The championship has had its ups and downs. In 2021, it was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with the investors’ meet in Dharamsala. Still, the 2018 edition — backed by the government and led by the Baijnath SDM — was a resounding success.
This year’s cancellation, however, has sparked concern among adventure tourism advocates. Many fear it signals a waning commitment from the state toward hosting international sporting events — and a missed opportunity to showcase Himachal’s skies to the world.
