9

Our Corporate Bureau
08 October 2003

Mumbai: 9 Yards, the recently launched sports and entertainment company, has signed up the 14-year-old go-karting sensation, Sahil Shelar. The firm is already managing celebrities like actress Manisha Koirala, soccer superstar Baichung Bhutia, Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting and ace tennis player Leander Paes.

Shelar, a Bombay Scottish student, recently participated in the Dunlop Endurance Kart Series in Malaysia, wherein 21 teams from Malaysia, the UK, Germany, Finland, Australia and India participated in the event. He successfully finished off in the sixth position despite facing mechanical trouble and being involved in an accident on the racing track in the Endurance Series. Shelar stood fourth on the podium in the fourth round of the AMC Dunlop Junior Karting Championship at Sepang circuit, Malaysia.

Formula One race driver Narain Kartikeyan has been a tremendous source of inspiration for Shelar. Says Kartikeyan: "I think Shelar is young and is doing a terrific job at go-karting races. He has great potential. Shelar should compete in the right championships to get noticed."

Shelar has participated in go-karting events across the country and won several events like under-16 JK National Karting Championship 2001, Bombay and Bangalore League, Pepsi Championship 2001, Compaq Presario Championship, among others. Akbar Ebrahim, national champion, is currently training Shelar.

Navneet Sharma, CEO, 9 Yards, says: "We are very excited at the prospect of representing India's youngest racing (go-karting) prodigy — Sahil Shelar. It will be our sincere endeavour to raise sponsorship revenues to support Shelar in his quest of racing the formula circuit and manage his career."

Eager, enthusiastic and zealous about the sport, Shelar is already busy making plans to compete in forthcoming events in Australia and the UK in 2004. Besides speeding on go-kart tracks, Shelar has also developed a knack of designing racetracks. Sahil Go-Karting Sports Centre, a go-karting centre on the Mumbai-Nashik highway, was constructed as per Shelar's design.