While various plans, dreams, wishes, adventurous trips, and career ideas were listed to fill the diary of 2020, the current pandemic situation due to COVID-19 has kept a full stop.
Starting from January, involving the summertime vacations during May and June, people worldwide are experiencing a tough time due to this issue. While lockdown, personal hygiene, and social distancing are the only option proposed by the Government to keep the situation under control, various sectors have experienced a lag behind their growth.
The IT doods, business experts are engaged in their online meeting and work from home schedules, school students at other end attend their classes online that is a little boring than the real school routine.
Now coming to the sporting activities.
Without a doubt, COVID-19 has brought a significant outbreak on the motorsports all over the world. The barren and blank racing tracks, closed stadiums, canceled events, motorbike racing, and rallies are the sad reality of the sports activities. The competitions and tournaments’ scheduled dates got postponed, and the final date confirmation will take an infinite time-space until the situation sets to normal.
Although you can still enjoy some sports online like the “Winabike” challenge by Motorbikes India group to refuel your urge to own a brand new motorbike.
Motorsport athletes and other games are still under stagger. Unable to see and take part in such motorbike or motorsports activities are heart-wimbling, but there are some success stories too that reiterate that sports are still living in this pandemic.
While there are hardly any motorbike and two-wheeler community competitions conducted, off-road car competitions and rallies get successfully carried in collaboration with Mahindra and Volkswagen. They provide complete hold to participants and drivers.
As an encouragement to youth and upcoming young talented racers, open-wheeled racing series got conducted successfully by MRF and JK tires.
As an initiative to keep on sporting activities active, Government declared specific measures like allowing practices and competitions on an open stadium with no spectators. However, it still needs clarification.
The motorbike community believes that national championship and other grassroots of motorsports would regain its place once the lockdown lifts completely.
As a step forward to encourage sponsors, and event organizers, FMSCI has taken the initiative and announced a stimulus package on the 6th of May 2020 that would be a massive benefit for the Indian Motorsports community.
The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), with its roots in 1971, is recognized by the Government of India and the Ministry of youth affairs and sports. The main motto of this non-profit community is to promote Indian motorsports to international levels, and in issuing competition licenses to organizers. It has successfully organized and monitored various events like karting, motorbike racing, two-wheeler rally, four-wheeler rally and racing, club events, etc.
It fuels 15 National championships, issued 330 permits to date, supports 3-purpose built race tracks, and 10 karting tracks.
- As the first phase, if the license holders haven’t taken any part in the events of 2020, free renewal of National level Competition Licenses of the year 2020 will be provided for the year 2021.
- On account of no sponsors for an event, they will give a 100% fee waiver, allowing organizers free permits.
- Whereas for the sponsored events, there will be a collection of 50% of consent fees.
- Similarly, there is a full fee waiver of naming rights for non-sponsored events and a 50% cut on for sponsored ones.
- The existing promoters of various National Championship events will get a one-year extension no matter whether the National competitions get conducted in 2020.
- Alongside, FMSCI has proposed the idea of appointing local stewards to look after the travel and hospitality costs for the organizers.
Thus, while teams and event sponsors are worried about what will happen next, the initiative of the stimulus package announced by FMSCI with no doubt will promote motorsports activity in India and keep them going even at the most challenging time.
Disclaimer: This article was prepared or accomplished by it's author in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Motorbikes India or it's owners.
This is a great initiative taken up by FMSCI. Hoping that the grants and aid reaches grass root level soon without any corruption.