JEDDAH, 21 February 2008 — Aerial sports fans are expected to turn out in droves during the 6th Jeddah International Championship for Skydiving April 10 to 17. Registration is still open for countries to participate until the end of the month.
According to Maj. Mubarak Al-Suwailem, deputy president of the Arab Federation for Aerial Sports, the event will be staged this time at Jeddah Cornice in front of Al-Nawras roundabout instead of Durrat Al-Arous in a break from tradition.
This he said, “will make it easier for a larger number of skydiving fans to attend and watch.”
“Through this championship we will try to send two messages via flyers and posters. Internationally, the first message is ‘Friendship through Sports”, and the second, locally, is “Jeddah Deserves It,” said Al-Suweailem. He added, they want to encourage Jeddah youth to do volunteer work for their city because it deserves it.
He added the new Australian president for the International Parachuting Committee, Graham Watson, will honor us with his visit this year.
The event, Al-Suwailem said, will be open for families and free of charge. “What makes it even better is that it will coincide with the spring break in which the weather will be even greater and the youths will be free to join us.”
The Saudi Aviation Club and the Saudi Parachute Association will organize the event, which has so far attracted 18 countries namely , Oman, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Brunei, Turkey, Qatar, and host Saudi Arabia. Participants will arrive on April 8 and will leave April 18.
Competitors will jump from a Super Puma 212 aircraft and the championship will include accuracy landing and formation skydiving.
Saudi Arabia will enter 14 skydivers, seven in each event. The championship will offer prizes as follow: first winners at the accuracy competitions (teams) will be prized
The Governor of Makkah Cup, gold medals and cash prize await the winners in the accuracy landing and formation skydiving competitions. The runners-up and third placers in both categories will receive silver and bronze medals plus cash prizes.
