“We chose to make this an accredited center of FAI [World Air Sports Federation]. From now on this is the first place in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq to award FAI certificates to athletes,” Ali Argoshi, president of the Kurdistan Air Union, told Rudaw on Friday.
The district, about 60 kilometres northeast of the capital Erbil, has already hosted several paragliding tournaments and the local administration is interested in developing the sport as a tourist attraction.
“Khalifan district, in general, has several attractive tourist areas that tourists visit, but in terms of sports tourism, we can develop it. It happens annually and can be a reason to attract more tourists,” said Khalifan Mayor Maghdid Arif Ahmad.
The adventurous extreme sport tests an athlete’s ability to fly at an altitude of about 2,000 meters. Paragliders with the Kurdistan Air Union are familiar with the dramatic geography of the Khalifan area and fly without fear.
The Kurdistan Region has nine paragliding clubs. The number of people interested in the sport is growing every day.
FAI was founded in 1905 as an international non-profit organization to promote aeronautical sports and activities.
