Speakers at the ‘F1 India Debut' seminar, which kick-started the 35th National convention of the Sports Journalists Federation of India at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana here on Wednesday, were unanimous that logistics was going to be the biggest challenge when the event is held in the country.
Inaugurating the five-day convention and the seminar, Vicky Chandhok, the president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), was emphatic: “We have to make the logistics work in India and it is a big challenge. We would be trying to project India through the event and if something went wrong it would not be nice for the prestige of the country. Hence, it is up to us to get it right.”
This point was echoed again and again from the other members of the panel — which included Sameer Kumar (Jaypee Sports India Ltd), Prthiviraj Siddappa (Volkswagen India) and Srikant Karani (Sportscraft) — as the discussion was steered to the various facets of the sport by Adil Jal Darukhanavala, Editor-in-chief,
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Armaan Ebrahim, India's promising race driver, who held centrestage, was excited that F1 was coming to the country, possibly on October 30 this year itself.
He said: “To be in the topmost Formula car was my dream and whenever I get into the single-seater, I have a big smile. It is not just about enthusiasm and desire, but also how you can push yourself and the car to the extreme. You need to be physically fit and mentally strong to succeed in motor sport.”
SFJI president S. Sabanayakan welcomed the gathering. Rajan Khinvasara, vice-president of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India, and veteran sports journalist Harry David offered felicitations.
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