IDNtribune.com – Indonesian athletes showcased their prowess at the 2024 Paragliding Accuracy World Cup (PGAWC) series 4, held at SkyLancing in Mekarsari, Praya Barat, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Indonesia clinched the top podium in three categories: Overall, Overall Junior U26, and Team.

The prestigious event, hosted in Central Lombok from July 11-14, 2024, saw participation from 60 pilots representing 10 countries. The first flights took off on Friday morning (July 12, 2024), with the event concluding on Sunday (July 14, 2024).

In an official statement on Monday (July 15, 2024), PGAWC 2024 Coordinator Colonel Erwin Sugiandi highlighted Indonesia’s dominance in three out of the four contested categories.

In the Overall category, Indonesian pilots Jordi Ansyah and Viki Mahardika secured first and third places, respectively, while Thailand’s Phipatpong Sudthoop took second place.

“Indonesian athletes achieved remarkable success. Despite the rapidly changing wind speeds, our athletes performed exceptionally well and made us proud. They swept the first positions in three out of the four categories,” said Colonel Erwin Sugiandi, who also serves as the Commander of Tuan Guru Kyai Haji Muhammad Zainuddin Abdul Madjid Air Base (ZAM) in Mataram.

He noted the fierce competition with Thailand, which benefitted from strong support from their authorities. The Thai team was accompanied by Group Captain Veerayuth Didyasarin, President of the Asia Federation of Aerosport (AFA) and a prominent paragliding figure in Thailand.

The PGAWC 2024 at SkyLancing also saw the attendance of Uglesa Djonsic, President of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). The Serbian national praised the resilience of Indonesian athletes and lauded the excellence of the SkyLancing paragliding site in Central Lombok.

“The athletes’ achievements are commendable. The event was a great success, and we look forward to meeting again in Germany this September,” said Djonsic at the 2024 PGAWC awards ceremony, at Lantis Beach Club, Selong Belanak, Central Lombok..

Meanwhile, Malaysian athlete Muhammad Akmaluddin bin Mohd. Nafi, one of the event’s favorites, finished fourth in the Overall category, missing the podium.

“Insha’Allah, we will achieve champion status in the future,” he told Times Indonesia in his native Malaysian dialect.

PGAWC 2024 Series 4 Results

Overall:

  1. Jordi Ansyah (Indonesia)
  2. Phipatpong Sudthoop (Thailand)
  3. Viki Mahardika (Indonesia)

Female:

  1. Nunnapat Phuchong (Thailand)
  2. Rika Wijayanti (Indonesia)
  3. Xiangyan Kong (China)

U26:

  1. Jordi Ansyah (Indonesia)
  2. Mahardika (Indonesia)
  3. Phipatpong Sudthoop (Thailand)

Team:

  1. Indonesia
  2. Thailand
  3. United Arab Emirates

Following the fourth series of PGAWC 2024, the competition will continue with the fifth series in Wasserkuppe, Germany, on September 12, 2024, and the Superfinals in Jingmen City, Hubei Province, on October 17, 2024. ***