Indonesian athletes have once again demonstrated their prowess on the international stage at the Asian League Paragliding Accuracy 2024. This prestigious event was held at SkyLancing in Mekarsari Village, Praya Barat District, Central Lombok Regency, NTB, from July 6-9, 2024.
Roy Rahmanto, the event coordinator, announced in a release received by Times Indonesia on Wednesday (July 10, 2024), that Indonesian athletes excelled in the Overall, Team, and Junior U26 categories. However, in the Female Paraglider category, the top two positions were claimed by Thai athletes Nunnapat Phuchong and Chantika Chaisanuk, with Rira Nurhakim from Indonesia finishing third.
“In the Junior U26 category, Rizky Maulana from Indonesia secured first place, followed by Phipatpong Sudthoop from Thailand and Zueesyam Ros from Malaysia. Similarly, in the Team category, Indonesia outperformed Thailand, which had shown strong performances from the start,” explained Roy.
Furthermore, in the Overall category, Indonesian athletes Rizky Maulana and Irvan Winarya took the first and second positions, respectively, while Phipatpong Sudthoop from Thailand came in third.
The Indonesian Aero Sport Federation Paragliding Committee (FASI) enthusiastically welcomed this victory. “As we had hoped from the start, our athletes performed superbly and made us proud. They are truly world-class, not just limited to Asia,” stated Asgaf Umar, Chairman of Paragliding Indonesia.
The history of paragliding in Indonesia has seen rapid growth since its introduction in the 1990s. Starting from a small community of extreme sports enthusiasts, paragliding has now become one of the sports that frequently brings glory to Indonesia on the international stage.
Asgaf also announced that from July 11-14, 2024, after Asian League Paragliding, these athletes will compete again in the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup (PGAWC) Series 4. The first series took place in Thailand, followed by Alanya, Turkey, for the second series, and Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan, on June 13, 2024, for the third series. The fourth series will be held at SkyLancing, Central Lombok, and the final series will be in Germany.
NTB has had the honor of hosting the PGAWC since 2023. During the 2023 world championship, 99 participants from 20 countries registered online. However, due to quota limitations, only 80 participants with the best world rankings were accepted. “We hope that more participants from Indonesia will be here, considering the host has a distinct advantage in terms of quota,” he added.
So, get ready to witness the spectacular paragliding performances soaring over the skies of SkyLancing, Central Lombok. Tourists with time off should definitely make their way here. ***
