Kathmandu January 15.The Paragliding World Cup Asian Tour (PWCAT) and 19th Nepal Open Paragliding Championship is set to start from February 23 to 29 in Pokhara. To be organised by the Nepal Airsport Association (NAA) and Nepal Paragliding and Handgliding Association in coordination of the International Aeronautical Federation, a nongovernmental and nonprofit international organisation, the total 125 pilots from 30 countries will participate in the competition, said the organisers. The Federation encourages and oversees sporting aviation events throughout the world. Top five to eight winning pilots will qualify by points and rankings for the world cup, said the NAA’s outgoing president Yogesh Bhattarai, also the tour coordinator. The PWCAT is as part of the three tours to be organised in South Asia in 2020 to qualify for the world cup in 2021, he said. The remaining two tours will be held in other Asian countries as per a demand. The tour aims to encourage South Asian paragliding pilots to participate in the world cup and is expected to help Nepal’s campaign of Visit Nepal Year, 2020, he said.