The FMSCI rolled out an ambitious plan for women recently, pledging to pull out all the stops to make motorsports an attractive and viable proposition for women across the country.
On a day, when the FMSCI and Women in Motorsport (WIM) celebrated and felicitated its leading ladies at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida, it announced that the process for hunting for talented girls and women had begun.
“We have also encouraged all our affiliates to add events specifically for women too to draw them into the sport,” Sita Raina, chairperson of FMSCI-WIM (Women In Motorsport) said. “The federation will give every possible support to organisers who try to create a platform for women,” she added.
As a first step towards this goal, the FMSCI honoured the country’s top women in motorsports, including national motorcycle champion Aishwarya Pissay, LGB Formula 4 racer Sneha Sharma and ace rallyist Bani Yadav at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida on Monday.
The FMSCI has set up a pavilion at the Auto Expo for the first time and has showcased a host of racing cars, bikes and karts to promote the sport among youngsters.
Among other things, the FMSCI intends to go the extra mile to provide proper guidelines, training and quick licenses to help women participate at the national level. It also aims to extend additional support to upcoming and existing racers to make them move on to the world stage.
Bani Yadav, the only Indian woman to have won all the major rally titles in the women’s category in India, was pleased with the efforts of the governing body and felt that this would see many young girls to take up the sport.
“I really appreciate FMSCI’s mission. As a woman, I know how difficult it is to come into the sport. But I believe if the right platform is created, a number of women will come forward to race or rally,” Bani said during the felicitation ceremony.
Sneha Sharma echoed Bani’s thoughts: “I would like to believe that if we all have managed to come into motorsport, then many others can do so too. They just need the right kind of guidance and a few opportunities and this is exactly what FMSCI-WIM’s vision and mission is all about.”