Kerala man secures third position at International Paragliding Festival at Vagamon

By Rashmi Kuttan | First Published Mar 18, 2024, 10:54 AM IST

The International Paragliding Festival organised by the Department of Tourism concluded on Sunday (March 17). The festival has gained global recognition for its exhilarating events, including the adventurous top landing competition, which saw the participation of foreign pilots. Jobin Sebastian of Enthayar in Kerala secured the third position in the competition.

Idukki: The International Paragliding Festival organised by the Department of Tourism concluded on Sunday (March 17). The event was inaugurated by Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas at Vagamon Adventure Park at 4 pm on March 14. Kerala Tourism organised four international championships to showcase the adventure potential of Kerala to the world. The pilots from various countries participated in the highly anticipated international paragliding festival held at Wagamon. The festival has gained global recognition for its exhilarating events, including the adventurous top landing competition, which saw the participation of foreign pilots.

According to officials, Sushanth Thakor of Himachal Pradesh secured first place, followed by Aman Thapa of Nepal and Jobin Sebastian of Enthayar in Kerala. Jobin Sebastian stated that his past participation in accuracy landing helped him place third in the tournament. "Two more Malayali paragliders Midhun and Arun Kumar also were victorious after securing the sixth and 11th positions in the competition," Mr. Sebastian stated.

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During the competition, paragliding pilots showcased their skills by flying at impressive heights ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. Paragliding has been held at Wagamon Adventure Park's hill station for many years, however, this is the first time it has been organised as a competition. 75 international and domestic pilots competed in the Spot Landing at Top Landing Spot category.

Around 8 adventurers from Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Nepal, and Switzerland participated in the competition. The winner will be awarded a cash prize from Rs 50,000 TO Rs 1.5 lakh. Those who have completed the course for paragliding pilots completed the training properly and have pilot insurance and paragliding association membership have been selected for the competition.

The competitions were jointly organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society under the Department of Tourism and the Idukki District Tourism Promotion Council.

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