Playing spoilsport with Formula One?
Despite the Force India team taking second place at the podium at the Belgian Grand Prix there is no rethinking in the sports ministry on its view that Formula One is not enough of a sport.
Sports minister M.S. Gill congratulated Vijay Mallya on his team’s win but labelled Formula One as ‘expensive entertainment’.
The sports ministry has refused approval to the promoters of Formula 1 in India, JPSK Sports, to pay 1.7 billion rupees to the Formula One Administration for the proposed Indian Grand Prix of 2011.
The ministry has reasoned that the Formula One race “does not satisfy conditions which focus on human endeavour for excelling in competition with others, keeping in view the whole sports movement from Olympic downwards.”
It wrote to the promoters that Formula One is not purely sports, it is entertainment and the venture by JPSK Sports was a commercial initiative.
The sports ministry’s argument stands on two legs. Formula One is expensive entertainment and the outcome is determined by technology hence it is not ‘pure sports’.
Is sport supposed to be boring — that’s a question which can be posed at least rhetorically?
Force India podium, giant leap for Indian motor sport?
India can boast of taking a major stride in Formula One after Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella drove from pole to second on the podium at the Belgium Grand Prix on Sunday.
The first points for the team owned by India’s liquor and airlines baron Vijay Mallya was a pleasant surprise, the team having failed to make an impact since it was launched ahead of the 2008 season.
The Indian media lapped up the news, indicating that F1′s popularity in India will only grow more rapidly as Indian fans gradually embrace the team as theirs.
Although home fans would have hoped an Indian driver had produced the achievement, India would still celebrate Fisichella’s success.
Indian F1 hopes were given a huge boost when Narain Karthikeyan was signed up by Jordan in 2005. However, an uncompetitive car and his lack of experience at the highest level meant India’s first F1 driver stayed very briefly in the limelight.
Karthikeyan’s subsequent role as a tester for Williams pushed him behind the scenes and he has now moved to the A1 Grand Prix, the world cup of motor racing, with his Formula One hopes all but over.
The Force India podium could not have come at a better time, as India gear up to stage an inaugural Grand Prix in 2011.
This win is really a hard-earned win for Force India team of Mallya. With this win, popularity of formula car racing will grow rapidly in India, however it
does certainly not necessitate organization of an Formula 1 Grand Prix event in India in 2011.
Can Formula 1 racing be defined as a “sport”?- according to govt. of India it is an open question.
The government may have not recognized it as a sport, only because to turn down much anticipated demands by interested parties in view of organizing 2011 Grand Prix in India and another reason could be that motor sports is generally considered a luxury.
I’ll make 2 distinct points here:1. It is the hollow mindset of people like Mr. Gill that had killed sports in India. The promotion of all sports and allocation of higher funds is long long overdue – in whichever field it may be.Education, Sports and Individual (personal) Taxation are the 3 fields that have received step-motherly treatment by the ruling Congress party in the past 45+ years it ruled. It’s high time our politicians came down from their pedestal of OLD SCHOOL THOUGHT and changed with time. F1 is here to stay – whether Mr Gill LIKES IT OR NOT !!!!At least the tourism dept will be benefited from the revenues F1 will generate if it is started in India.Mr Gill, Isn’t Sky-Diving a sport ? If it is, it’s definatley not played in our backyard – and again, it is NOT CHEAP – by any yardstick. So, why the double standard ?Wake up to the reality – Mr Gill.2. Another change that India needs is to show the door to people holding political posts after the age of 58. If the constitution has to be ammended – so be it !!!Young minds are needed to change the anarchic COLONIAL laws of bygone eras at the earliest.This change will improve the quality of the political system in India as more and more young people enter the political space. Lets TRY to make it more professional and transparent, responsible and accountable ….. even if it means to fix a retirement age for all politicians.”Lead India” and other such institutions can take a bold step in this direction and ensure that such a constitutional ammendment is made at the earliest.This is the time to “BE THE CHANGE” …..All political parties should nominate young candidates and that will usher in the change …..