Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Women show their prowess behind wheels

— Photo: M. Moorthy

fair game: Mala Venkatesh, centre, and her daughters receiving the first prize from the Chairman of National Selection Committee, BCCI, K. Srikkanth in Tiruchi on Sunday.

TIRUCHI: Oodles of fun and adventure! Participants constituting 48 teams in ‘fastrack ‘09,’ the third All Women Car Rally of The Aura, a forum for women, could not ask for more on Sunday.

Thanks to their spirit, Motor Sports personalities have started thinking on the lines of promoting the sport in Tiruchi as in Chennai and Coimbatore. What more, they are determined to see through the formation of Tiruchi Motor Sports Club shortly. The team with the least penalty score in the TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) was declared winner in the competition sponsored by JK Tyre and co-sponsored by Canara Bank. The mother-daughters trio of Mala Venkatesh, Bavya and Divya won the first prize under the ‘Experts’ category for the third consecutive year, earning the repeated applause of the chief guest K. Srikkanth, Chairman, National Selection Committee, Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Mr. Srikanth saw a huge scope for growth of motor sports in India and suggested that the Madras Motor Sports Club conduct competitions at State-level to begin with, packaging them well. Advocating live television coverage, he felt certain that media attention will definitely spur participants into performing well, enhancing the stature of the sport. He welcomed the trend of women taking to motor sports, observing that they were quite at ease in facing uncertain situations associated with the sport just as they handle pressure in and outside home.

Offering felicitations, V.A.J. Manikantan, General Manager (Sales), JK Tyres and Industries Limited, said the company’s sponsorship was in keeping with its policy of promoting grass-roots level events and prompt budding talent to reach greater heights. He assured the company’s sustained support to The Aura in the years to come for promoting Motor Sports.

V. Krishnan, Deputy General Manager, Canara Bank, complimented the participants for their spirit of participation. Forty seven teams completed the rally which was made tougher this year.

Vrinda Ramanan of The Aura exuded confidence that greater heights could be reached in the coming years. Amit and Ravi of Madras Motor Sports Club appreciated the zeal of The Aura in adding stature to the annual event.

Earlier in the day, Superintendent of Police (Tiruchi Rural) A. Kaliyamoorthy flagged off the rally from St. John’s Vestry Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School Grounds.

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