Kurdish athlete Rebin Rashid Fattah, a government employee and paragliding enthusiast from Sulaymaniyah, has represented the Kurdistan Region at the World Paragliding Championship (Point Landing) in Frankfurt, Germany, where he successfully achieved a zero-point landing – the most precise score in the competition.
Rebin, who began paragliding in 2014 with his first flight from Goizha Mountain, was invited to the event by Alexander, President of the World Paragliding Sports Federation. The championship brought together 80 of the world’s best athletes, yet Rebin competed without any financial or moral support from Iraq, despite officially being part of the Iraqi national team.
He has previously taken part in international championships in the UAE, Thailand, and Iran, and plans to compete in Turkey this October. At home, he holds the title of Iraq’s first champion in paragliding.
“Public enthusiasm for this sport is very high,” Rebin told The Kurdish Globe. “Tourists who visit Sulaymaniyah often fly with me over the city. Many young people are eager to learn, but the costs are high and support is lacking.”
Rebin stressed the importance of training, safety, and weather assessment in the sport, explaining that flights are carefully prepared using mobile forecasts, mountain air meters, and personal readiness checks. “If we follow the rules, paragliding is 99% safe,” he said, noting that all pilots carry reserve parachutes and undergo safety training.
He also highlighted the sport’s tourism value, with many visitors traveling to Sulaymaniyah specifically to experience paragliding. Looking ahead, Rebin hopes for government and private sector support to compete in more international events under the Kurdish flag. “In most countries, athletes receive assistance simply to raise their national flags. I want the same chance for Kurdistan,” he said.
By: Farman Omar Saeed