Zim set to introduce paragliding READY TO FLY . . . Lawrence Madamombe has high hopes and wants to introduce the sport of paragliding in Zimbabwe
READY TO FLY . . . Lawrence Madamombe has high hopes and wants to introduce the sport of paragliding in Zimbabwe

READY TO FLY . . . Lawrence Madamombe has high hopes and wants to introduce the sport of paragliding in Zimbabwe

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
A NEW sporting discipline of paragliding is set to be introduced sometime this year in Zimbabwe in an effort to promote sports tourism in Nyanga and the rest of the Eastern Highlands.

This comes after a group of aviation sport enthusiasts decided to form the Paragliding Association of Zimbabwe to bring sport tourism to Nyanga and the rest of the scenic Eastern Highlands.

Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders, lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing comprising a large number of interconnected baffled cells.

The Paragliding Association of Zimbabwe is already in the process of getting a recognition letter from the Sports Commission for them to apply to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for permission to bring in participants from other countries.

The sport will see interested pilots from different countries coming to Zimbabwe to compete in the sport.

One of the sport’s pioneers in Zimbabwe, Lawrence Madamombe, said the idea is to promote sports tourism in accord with the Government’s Zim-Asset initiative and their target group are foreigners.

“We are supposed to get a letter of recognition from the Sports Commission and it’s a requirement from the FAI. When we get a letter from the Commission and then we will apply to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale so that we can bring people from outside the country to paraglide in Zimbabwe.

“It’s like motor racing’s Formula One, you bring your own equipment and we will have people coming in to compete and go as part of sports tourism.

“This is a sport in the making. It’s different from soccer or netball and this is the first time we are having it here. That’s why I recently went to India to see how it is done,” said Madamombe.

In a letter to the Sports Commission, Madamombe indicated that they would like to develop worldclass sites in Nyanga.

“Paragliding is a fast growing sport in the world with thousands of registered pilots. France alone has 25 000 registered paragliding pilots. We would like to develop worldclass sites in Nyanga to lure these pilots to our shores for sports tourism.

“The world view paragliding site in Nyanga is already being used by local pilots. There is need to develop more sites in Chimanimani and Vumba.

“The sites can be hired out to international clubs for use during bad weather in their countries and for world championships.

“Recognition from the Sports Commission is a requirement from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the world governing body of all aviation sports, for membership. It is crucial Zimbabwe, through the association, becomes a member for the safety oversight of the sport (licencing and training standards, aviation circulars and news bulletins) and affiliation with other member states,” reads part of the letter.

Madamombe has toured India’s paragliding clubs and trained with one of them and he said they are in talks with one of the clubs to relocate here during their off monsoon season and help set up the sites and train locals.

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