BANTING: A 16-year-old paraglider won first place in the men's category at the Jugra International Paragliding Accuracy Championship 2014 which ended Sunday.
Mohd Zulhaziq Ismail from Malaysia nailed it with 67 points beating other seasoned participants from five countries.
“This is the first time I won top spot. I never expected to win in this championship as I am the youngest participant, with only four years experience.
“My next competition is in November which is the Asian Beach Games 2014 in Phuket, Thailand and I will do my best for Malaysia,” he told NST Online.
As for the group category, Asian Beach Group 1 from Malaysia clinched top spot.
Group captain, Mohd Nafi Ismail and other three team mates Muhd Faridil Fedzreen Nordin, Mohd Nazri Sulaiman and Nur Haqimy Ismail said that deployed a strategy to ensure a win.
Nafi said that as a senior paraglider with seven years experience, he will use his skills to bring Malaysia to the next level in paragliding.
Meanwhile, Selangor Youth, Sports, Infrastructure and Public Amenities committee chairman Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi said that the international event was beneficial to the community, state and country.
“Such events help to boost the local economy and with that advantage, Jugra can bring more international paragliders in the future.
Kuala Langat District Council (MDKL) president Mohd Azhar Mohamed Ali said every weekend, Jugra will be flooded by foreigners and locals for paragliding.
“Not just paragliding, we will organise more international activities in Kuala Langat and hope this will boost the tourism and local economy,” he told NST Online.
The tournament, organised by MDKL, had participants from Malaysia, Spain, Philipines, Taiwan and Singapore.