Jumping to the Third Step of the Podium

The 42nd CISM World Military Parachuting Championship has ended. 372 sportsmen of the thirty-seven countries competed in accuracy landing, in formation skydiving and freefall style events for over a week in Szolnok. The Final Awards and the Closing Ceremony of the World Championship granted by the Conseil International du Sport Militaire – CISM to our country in recognition of our national team’s results so far, was held in the RepTár, Central and Eastern Europe’s unique exhibition hall of military aircraft history.

Brigadier General László Szabó, Acting Deputy Commander of the HDF Military Augmentation Preparation and Training Command congratulated the competitors on the important results achieved. The Chairman of the Organising Committee of the World Championship highlighted in his speech, that the Ministry of Defence and almost all the HDF units contributed – according to their special fields – to the organisation, preparation and implementation of the championship.

The Mayor of Szolnok Ferenc Szalay also congratulated the competitors on their achievements, then the festive announcement of the results followed. The Hungarian national team composed of Captain Tamás Bánszki, W.O. Tamás Varga, W.O. Gábor Hirschler, Sergeant Major Szabolcs Gál, PFC Ferenc Horváth and Ensign István Asztalos, volunteer operational reservist finished on the third place in accuracy landing after the Slovenian and the Chinese team; in individual Ensign Asztalos was the fourth, PFC Ferenc Horváth in the junior category was placed thirteenth. State Secretary for Home Defence Matters of the Ministry of Defence István Szabó presented the medals to the best of the competition.

At the closing ceremony of the event Colonel Dorah Mamby Koita, the General Secretary of the Conseil International du Sport Militaire appreciated the fair fight of the competitors, the precise and accurate work of the organisers and the judges, then the CISM-flag was ceremoniously lowered, and Colonel Dr. Tamás Bali, the Deputy Commander of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base handed it over to the next year’s Chinese 43rd World Military Parachuting Championship’s main organiser. After the event the sportsmen and the members of the delegations joined the swirl of the city’s programs staged on our National Holiday, 20th August. They could enjoy among others the water and air shows of the military units stationing in Szolnok Garrison.

The Chairman of the Organising Committee of the World Championship was Brigadier General László Szabó, his deputy was Colonel Dr. Tamás Bali, his secretary was Colonel Dr. Zoltán Eleki, the Head of the Home Defence Preparation and Military Physical Education Section of the HDF Augmentation Preparation and Training Command. The responsibilities of the coach of the national team was assumed by Major Tibor Lázár, the Parachuting Senior Officer of the Helicopter Base. The preparation of the team was generously assisted by the Szolnok Honvéd Parachute Sports Federation as well.