The tot, who'd long mastered wheelies on his cycle, couldn't wait to practice in his Byculla housing colony's central quadrangle. In fact, he spent so many hours on the bike that he once dozed off on the handlebars and got lodged in the swaying football net. This year, Kayan - dressed in protective amour appropriate for a gladiator - participated in the first two rounds of the MRF Supercross Championship.
And he's not the only one. Six-year-old Raheesh Khatri, and brother-sister duo, Ashwinder and Shiana, will also compete in the final held on September 21st in Coimbatore. "It's his dream to be an international racer. Abroad they start racing at five, so he has to start young," explains Raheesh's dad, Mudassar Khatri, who owns seven bikes and has participated in multiple races. He worries about his son's safety every day but couldn't hold him back when "Raheesh learned to say vroom before mummy or daddy". He has taken a highrisk insurance policy for motor sports in his son's name.
This is the first time since the MRF championship's inception in India that kids aged 15 and below, who are issued special licenses by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), are allowed to compete on a dirt track riddled with sharp turns, speed breakers and 12feet high "table top" jumps. "Though it looks risky, it is a very safe sport because it is done in a controlled environment," says organizer Shyam Kothari. "We have two fullyequipped trauma ambulances on standby."
Ashwinder, 12, placed in the first three during the last round of the championship despite tearing a ligament in a practice session the previ ous day. He wanted to ride but by the end, he was in so much pain that "he was crying inside the helmet," recalls his dad. Though he has to rest for the time being, he will be fit to participate in the final along with his 15-year-old sister. Their dad, Sarvjeet Singh Virdi, taught them the basics on a Yamaha RX 100 in the basement of their Mulund building. Today, his kids train on the Kute Supercross Track in Lonavla as well as I-Land in Wadala along with 10 to 15 other kids. Shiana rides a Yamaha YBX, while Ash winder is comfortable on a Rs 3.8 lakh Yamaha YZ 85. "It is a very expensive sport. The protective gear alone costs Rs 60,000," says Virdi.
Like all adventure sports, supercross can be risky. According to developmental pediatrician, Dr Samir Dal wai, "parents should carefully weigh the benefits against the risks before signing up for such a sport." He adds that what is right for a 15-year-old may not necessarily be safe for a five-year-old.
The eager fathers, all of whom have raced in the past, have sustained injuries of their own. Patel jokes that he's a "robot" because he has so many metal parts. When his son was born, he was in a coma after crashing during a 3,0000km race in the Himalayas. "I have a metal ball in my shoulder, a plate in my jaw. a rod in my forearm..." Kayan interjects, "Dad has a plate on s the right side of his head, from a bike injury and I have t one on the left."
Most of the kids are non chalant about the risks. But they do resent the stringent e fitness regiment. Ashwinder and Shiana cycle for two hours a day, gym for another hour and avoid junk food.
Their dad also keeps careful track of their weight and height.
"The bike and the person riding it have to connect and move together," he ex plains. "Dad thinks it's like that creature in Avatar," teases Ashwinder while joining two imaginary "chotis" with his hands.
Stay updated on the go with The Times of India's mobile apps. Click here to download it for your device.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Daddy bikers kick-start love for racing in tots, teens
Dengan url
http://cegahkeropostulang.blogspot.com/2014/09/daddy-bikers-kick-start-love-for-racing.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Daddy bikers kick-start love for racing in tots, teens
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Daddy bikers kick-start love for racing in tots, teens
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar