TVS Racing’s Aishwarya Pissay sets sights on Jordan Baja
After training under Al-Balooshi, the Indian is excited to tackle the Red Sea dunes
Aqaba (Jordan), 18 March 2021: TVS Racing Factory Rider Aishwarya Pissay is excited to take part in the Jordan Baja Rally which also doubles-up as the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup which will have 559 competitive kilometres in a total route of 859 km.
The ace Indian cross-country rallyist, Aishwarya Pissay said:“I had a tough first round in Dubai last month when my bike encountered technical issues. But I still managed to finish at 14th position overall. After the Dubai round, I stayed back in Dubai and trained for two weeks under the guidance of Mohammed Al-Balooshi. I have also worked on my fitness prior to the Rally.” Aishwarya, astride a Husqvarna, also finished third in the Ladies Class at the Dubai Baja last month which will count for the World Cup rankings and stayed back to train under Al-Balooshi, the 2019 Jordan Baja winner.
The ceremonial start of the Baja is scheduled for 9.30 pm (IST) on Thursday and the competitors will tackle two challenging sections of 211 kms and 116 kms on Friday and a further 237 kms through the deserts to the north of Aqaba on March 20, the final day on Saturday. Fifteen motorcycles and five quads will be at the start of the Jordan Baja, which will be held in the nearby deserts of Wadi Rum.
The 25-year Bengaluru-based Aishwarya, is supported by her title sponsor TVS Racing, and is co-sponsored by IIFL, Surana College, Micro Labs, SCOTT Sports, Puma, Sidvin, Big Bear Customs and GoPro India. She is one of the two female racers on the entry list, along with Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet.
Talking from Jordan, Aishwarya said: “I am very excited about the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup. This will be my first experience of racing in Jordan. But I am going in with a positive mindset and hoping for a good finish. Thanks to my sponsors I am well prepared and am able to fight with a clean state of mind. They have enabled me to travel and participate in the World Cup during these challenging times and but for them this Baja would not have been possible.”
Despite the ongoing global travel challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 17 teams and competitors from 11 nations are participating at the event.
However, this year, the women riders have the liberty to chose only two rounds to qualify for the Final of the ten rounds for the year 2020’s FIM World Cup honours. Dutch rider Mirjam Pol is leading the points table after Round 1 with 25 points while Indian Aishwarya Pissay has 16 points and is third on the table. Margot Llobera Farre, the second ranked rider and Mirjam Pol are not taking part in Jordan Baja
Jordan is located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River and is rich in monuments, temples, tombs and archaeological sites, including the famous Nabataean capital of Petra in the south of the country and in close proximity to the Baja’s base in Aqaba on the Red Sea.
