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Not even a broken back stopped C. Vijay Kumar from emerging national motocross champion. He is now looking forward to compete on four wheels
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PHOTOS: K. PICHUMANI
SPEED KING Vijay Kumar has taken part in a number of international events and was the first Indian to win abroad at the Sri Lankan National Championship in 2003
Mad Max or champion motocross rider? Both appendages would fit C. Vijay Kumar the current national motocross titleholder.
He loves biking, he cannot spend a moment away from his motorcycle and even parks his bike next to his bed when he sleeps!
The biking bug bit Kumar when he was a teenager. His cousin Vishwa was into motorbike racing and was doing fairly well in the competitions.
Kumar was so taken by the sport that he used to bunk his computer classes and accompany his cousin on practice runs. At some point it was inevitable that he would get a chance to ride the Yamaha 135 and immediately showed his talent by clocking excellent timing in the practice sessions.
Luckily for him, his elder brother was ready to dole out the money needed for the sport. A bike, racing gear and spare parts cost more than Rs. 2 lakhs in those days and with the cash arranged, Kumar was well on his way to making waves.
Kumar was 19, when the TVS Racing Team were looking for new talent to replace Nipendar Jassi, the top rider from Chandigarh. The TVS Managing Director was a racing fan and very soon Kumar was signed on to participate in TVS Colours on the national motocross rounds.
He was provided with a custom built bike, kitted with the best racing gear and even tutored for three months by Paul Brookfield, an Australian trainer and the youngster showed his penchant for speed when he soon emerged as the top rider in the country. There were some pitfalls in Kumar's career. In 2004 he had a bad crash and ended up with three fractures in the back.
The title round that year was quite open and Kumar could not bear to remain in bed as ordered by the doctor. He pleaded with his parents to allow him to travel to Chennai for the deciding round at least to watch the finals. They were forced to relent and Vijay rushed off to Chennai. Once at Chennai, he gingerly tried a couple of practice rounds on the bike and, confident that he could manage went on to compete. Needless to say he went on to win and retain his national championship.
Very recently, Kumar became the second sportsman to be signed on to endorse the Puma brand. (Saurav Ghosh, the Under-19 squash champion being the first to be roped in by Puma.)
Vijay will be provided with all the racing accessories and with every win receive a performance bonus. He will also endorse Puma's leisurewear. Kumar has taken part in a number of international events and was the first Indian to win abroad at the Sri Lankan National Championship in 2003.
He has finished fifth in China. This year he should be participating in six rounds in the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Guam and Singapore. The 25-year-old biker has ended up runner-up and third in a couple of club events in Australia. His performance at the national level is impressive with title wins three years in a row from 2002. In 2005 he missed out because of a fractured rib cage. Future plans for Kumar include participating in the Indian National Rally Championship for cars and he has already begun preparing for that.
D. RAVI SHANKAR
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