Team India finishes 4th overall at Asian Gymkhana

David Bodapati July 13, 2019

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The 3-member Team India who bagged the overall fourth place is at the far left on the podium. Photo from Shivani Pruthvi

Yogyakarta (Indonesia), 13 July 2019: The three-member Indian team bagged a creditable overall fourth place in the first round of the Asia Auto Gymkhana championship 2019 which concluded here on Saturday.

Representing the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the Indians came out triumphant reaching the semifinals in the overall championship and took the podium for fourth place. The team consisting of Shivani Pruthvi of Davangere, Sahil Khanna, and Karan Malik (both Delhi) performed well against some strong teams from 11 countries and competed with 39 other drivers for top honours.

The Indian team at the gala closing ceremony on Saturday.

The trio managed to come out on to the top-4 brushing aside a stiff challenge from other countries including some strong contingents from Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea, and the host country Indonesia.

All the competitors were on an identical race-prepared Toyota Agyas (aka Wigo in the Philippines) on multiple gymkhana course layouts in a knock-out format.

Sahil Khanna was placed fourth in the Solo overall category while the Indian team also managed to take the third place in the doubles category.

Shivani, a 21-year old from Davangere town in Karnataka, who became the first Indian woman to represent India in a Gymkhana event said: “I’m very lucky enough that I have got an opportunity to represent India. No other feeling in the world can match the thrill and pride of representing one’s country. Holding up the Tricolour high on foreign soil is a dream come true and I will cherish this forever.” Actually, this is the second time Shivani is representing the country abroad. As an active NCC cadet, she had an opportunity to go abroad to Singapore ICEP in 2014 and now motorsport has taken her to Indonesia.