Sport - Racing : Motor

Court permits MAI to hold car rallies

Mumbai May 29. All speculation about the status of the Motorsports Association of India (MAI) with regard to the conduct of motor car rallies in the country was put to an end when the Delhi High Court allowed MAI to hold motor car rallies in the country, subject to the condition that MAI would make it clear it does not have recognition from the Government of India.

The permission to conduct rallies was granted by a division bench, comprising Justices Usha Mehra and O.P. Diwedi on May 21, following an appeal against the earlier order of a single judge, which had restrained the MAI from conducting rallies till July 12.

The order also upheld the contention of the MAI that government recognition is not a pre-requisite for conducting motor rallies in the country.

In the appeal against Justice Mukandakam Sharma's earlier order, the counsel for MAI, Rajiv Nayar instructed by M/s. Dhruve Liladhar & Co., said the Government rules required that the applicant organisation must have at least three years experience in staging such events before seeking recognition.

Justice Sharma's interim order had come on a plea by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), saying the MAI has not been granted recognition by the Government and hence is not entitled to hold car rallies.

It may be recalled that on January 28, the Delhi High Court had issued notice to the Government on a petition seeking withdrawal of recognition to the FMSCI as the National Sporting Federation.

Justice Manmohan Sarin called upon the Government to reply why it continued to accord recognition to the FMSCI when the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile (FIA), the autonomous international body that controls and administers motorsport, had withdrawn the sporting power for the country from the FMSCI.

The Delhi High Court was hearing a petition, filed by the MAI, which said that India is being targeted as one of the future venues for staging Formula One races but the FIA feels a great deal of action is needed if the sport was to achieve its full potential in the country.

As the FMSCI had expressed its inability to restructure itself and carry out the modifications concerning rallies, the FIA appointed the MAI as the National Sporting Authority (ASN) for India, conferring it the sporting power to carry out the required work.

Nayar said that international recognition was mandatory for having recognition from the Government. Standing counsel for the Government, Maninder Singh, stated that it was the particular Government of a country, which first accords recognition to a sporting body, and only then an international recognition followed.

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