Pakyong, Jan 16: The three-day Flying Festival & Paragliding Accuracy Championship 2026 was officially flagged off at Thumki Dara and Amba Dara, Pakyong, on Friday by Advisor to CM, Bishnu Kumar Khatiwada, and Chairman of the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Sonam Norgay Lachungpa, in the presence of Chief Patron of Jan Kalyan Prakosta, Prabhakar Golay.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by senior officials, including Karma Tashi Bhutia, Chairman of Sikkim Housing and Development Board; DB Chettri, OSD to CM; Santosh Pradhan, OSD of Sikkim State Lottery Directorate; Bum Tshering Yonzon, OSD, IT Department; Urgen Lepcha, CA to CM; Mahendra Subba; along with other officials and members of the public.
Organised by the Rhenock Tourism Development Society in collaboration with the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department, the event aims to promote Rhenock as a destination for adventure and community-based tourism.
The Paragliding Accuracy Championship, running from January 16 to 18, has drawn 62 paragliders from across India and neighbouring regions, including Nepal, Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Ladakh, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Borderland Territorial Council.
Flights are taking off from Amba Dara and Thumki Dara, and the competition is being judged using a 20-centimetre electronic target device. Each participant will have a minimum of four rounds and a maximum of twelve rounds, depending on weather conditions. Safety measures include radio communication systems, rescue teams, and ambulance facilities.
Judges from Nepal, Mizoram, Assam, Darjeeling, and Sikkim are officiating the event. Winners will be awarded in individual and team categories, while all female participants will receive consolation prizes to encourage greater participation of women in adventure sports.
The final event on January 18 will be attended by Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.
