'I am always on the go'

The blue-eyed boy of motor sports in the country, Armaan Ebrahim, is thrilled with the rise in the prospects of Formula One racing tournaments in the country.

The one recently held in Delhi has excited the young racer and he is looking
forward to more such tournaments being held here.

“The Formula One racing scene is looking up in the country and that is very good news for us. Today, people know about it. In fact, they know a lot about the teams and the racers — which is really good. It is very encouraging to see that so many people are taking an activeinterest in this field. Some even go into the details of the game. Though motor sports is still just a baby in the country, it is also the third largest watched sport in India today. It would really help if more such seasons are organised here,” informs Armaan.

He candidly adds that he began racing pretty late as compared to children now.
“I started at the age of 13 with go-kart racing. Soon, I got interested in motor sports and that is when I decided to take up motor racing seriously. The joy that I get when I start the engine is incomparable. I found an instant connect with the sport,” he adds.

The young racer might be associated with motor sports but he is an avid fan of other sports too, and plays squash and cricket. “I follow many sports and hope that
youngsters are involved with different kind of sports as well. It is not that I don’t have a life beyond my sport. I am passionate about the sport that I pursue, but have varied interests. I used to play cricket when I was a child but decided to pursue motor sports,” explains Armaan.

He says that he has a special bond with this City. “The first time I raced was in Bangalore. The cars were brought down in 2003 and it was a very special moment for me. The racing scene has had its share of ups and downs, but I would like to
believe that things have been great for me all this while. It has always been a challenge for Indian racers, of course — we need more sponsors and more corporate companies to come forward and help us out. The sponsorship that we get, as compared to cricket, is nothing,” he says.

He goes on to say that parents in the country need to realise and accept the
potential of their children when it comes to choosing sports as a career option.
“If their child is serious about pursuing a particular sport, the parents should be open enough to encourage them. The situation here is very different from that of other countries. I feel the  government also has a large role to play and needs to support and encourage the players,” adds Armaan.

When asked about the glamourous side of sports, he adds that style is almost synonymous with sports and all sportpersons would like to be presentable.

“I wear what suits me and try to keep it comfortable as well as stylish, though I prefer giving more precedence to comfort than style,” he quips. Born and brought up in Chennai, he is always on a move-and-shift mode to cities where the races are held. “I am always on the go. I miss home — however, if my passion requires me to travel around the world, I have to do that,” he sums up.