Photo courtesy of Dauntless Outdoors
MALAYBALAY CITY (BukidnonNews.Net / May 11, 2026) — Malaysian pilot Nurhaqimy Ismail emerged as the overall champion of the Airsports Federation of Asia (AFA) Asian Paragliding XC League 2026 – Series 1 held in San Migara, Barangay San Luis, Malitbog, Bukidnon after four cross-country race tasks conducted from May 7 to 10.
Official results published through the CIVL competition platform showed Ismail finishing with 1,433.6 points aboard a GIN GTO 3 glider. American pilot Schuyler Heath placed second overall with 1,420.8 points while Indonesian pilot Thomas Prihandoko secured third with 1,409.1 points.
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)-sanctioned Category 2 event featured four race-to-goal tasks ranging from 21.1 to 27.1 kilometers, with task validity increasing throughout the competition and peaking at 99.59 percent during the final day.
Courtesy of www//civlcomps.org
Task 1 on May 7 was declared with zero validity after conditions failed to produce competitive scoring, resulting in all pilots receiving zero points.
South Korean pilots dominated Task 2 on May 8 as Doeun Kim won the 21.1-kilometer course with 125.2 points aboard a Skywalk Mint glider. Fellow South Korean Jinhee Baek placed second with 59.7 points, followed by Indonesian pilot Ina Diana with 45.5 points. Heath finished fourth while Thai pilot Auttasak Wongkitta placed fifth.
Competition intensified during Task 3 on May 9 as Ismail topped the 27.1-kilometer race in one hour, 33 minutes, and 12 seconds for 790.3 points. Heath placed second, Prihandoko finished third, South Korean pilot Konsou Son came fourth, and Doeun Kim placed fifth.
Task 4 on May 10, which carried the competition’s highest validity, largely determined the final standings. Ismail again led the field after completing the 26.3-kilometer course in 59 minutes and 46 seconds for 995.9 points, followed by Heath, Prihandoko, Baek, and Malaysian pilot Liswanti Harun.
The strong performances of Ismail, Heath, and Prihandoko during the final two high-validity tasks ultimately shaped the overall podium standings.
In the Female category, Baek topped the standings with 1,093.4 points, followed by Harun with 993.4 points and Diana with 668.7 points. Baek also finished fourth overall in the competition.
In the Sport Class division, Ismail again dominated the category, followed by Prihandoko in second place and Baek in third. Son placed fourth while Harun completed the top five.
The GTO-Boys team captured the team championship with 3,612.5 points through the combined performances of Ismail of Malaysia, Prihandoko of Indonesia, and Wongkitta of Thailand.
Global Friends placed second with 3,005.5 points behind the performances of Heath of the United States, Baek of South Korea, and Diana of Indonesia. The La La La team finished third with 2,323.8 points composed of Son of South Korea, Harun of Malaysia, and South Korean pilot Junbai Ra.
The competition gathered pilots from Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, India, France, the United States, and the Philippines. Filipino pilots who joined the competition included Ariole Cabigting, Junrey Cambal of Malitbog, Randell Raymundo, Realino Jr. Indapan, and female pilot Maricon Taniza.
More than a competition, the Asian Paragliding XC League 2026 served as a platform to showcase Malitbog’s natural beauty and tourism potential. Organizers said the event helped place the municipality on the wider adventure tourism map while strengthening Bukidnon’s identity as a province where culture, nature, and outdoor experiences converge.
According to the Department of Tourism Northern Mindanao, the Asian Paragliding XC League 2026 – Series 1 was “soaring in the beautiful highlands of Malitbog,” further positioning the area among the country’s emerging paragliding and adventure tourism destinations.
Organizers earlier described the Malitbog flying site as among the emerging international paragliding destinations in Southeast Asia because of its terrain, wind systems, and thermal conditions suitable for cross-country flying.
The Malitbog competition served as the opening leg of the 2026 AFA Asian Paragliding XC League series, with succeeding events scheduled in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Official results were published through the CIVL competition website of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (BukidnonNews.Net)
All photos courtesy of PAIA-LGU-Bukidnon
