Punjabis opting for a different path

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Nurpur Bedi, February 22

At the JK Tyre Extreme 4 Play held recently, 16 of the 48 participants were from Punjab. 

More and more youngsters from the state are finding new love in motor sports, and the extreme off-road event is offering them a chance to quench the thirst for adventure. The organisers of the event said that they received a tremendous response from Punjab despite there being limited exposure about the sport in the state. Young drivers from Doaba and Malwa regions are among the frontrunners, known for spending big amounts of money on their cars.

"We have received a tremendous response from the young drivers of Punjab. The trend is going up every year. I am happy that these young kids are working hard to take forward our legacy," said Hari Singh, who is known as the 'Gypsy King'.

"No doubt, this sport is expensive but the enthusiasm of this region's drivers is fascinating. They all are very humble, keen to learn and capable of get the best out of the toughest situations. We don't compare motor sports with any other sport as we have a completely opposite setup. We rely on our machines. So, here a driver needs to be smart and courageous. Punjabis have all these qualities," added Hari, a five-time national rally champion and Asian rally championship.

In this event, Punjab-based Gerrari Offroaders finished second, missing out the top spot by just five points.  

 Believe it or not, there is no limit on spending money for the modification of these vehicles. "There is no harm in maintaining the car at any cost. Off-roading is not about buying heavy cars. It's about making use of the machine with intelligence, "said Gurpartap Singh of Gerrari Offroaders team. "We spend one lakh per event just for the maintenance," he added. 

Juban Sidhu of the same team added, "We spend little on us but more on our cars."

A woman of substance  Not many expect women to take part in these events. 

Well, Dr Ritika Oberoi would like to disagree. Oberoi, the only girl to participate in the non-modified cars category, was decorated with a special award for her keen interest in motorsports. A degree holder in dentistry, Oberoi is a managing director of a company and works in Gurugram. A former national level basketball and volleyball player, she was inspired into motorsports by one of her friends and guide, Daminder Singh. "I owe this trophy to him. He is a real inspiration behind my love for motorsports. My parents always asked me to give my best in any field and being a female, it was tough to even participate in such events without the help of my friend and my parents," said Oberoi. "This is a male dominated sport and I think it's quite tough to make your space here. My upbringing helped me to take such challenges and the same should be the approach of every parent to boost their child. I think to find a right guide is also important," she added.