[TusharK]

Three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion (APRC) Gaurav Gill has been nominated for the 2019 Arjuna Award. The awards will be officially announced on September 25, 2019.



Gaurav Gill has won the APRC title in 2013, 2016 and 2017. He has six Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) titles under his belt.

Earlier this year, Gill announced that he would be leading Team JK Tyre Rallying in the national and international events. He also plans to take part in select events of the World Rally 2 Championship. He is also involved in grooming young drivers with ambitions to compete in the sport.

Arjuna Awards are given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognize achievements in sports. For 2019, there have been 19 nominations including cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam for hockey, Ajay Thakur for kabaddi, Swapna Burman for athletics and Pooja Dhanda for wrestling.

Source: NDTV

Link to Team-BHP News

[slicvic]

Good news for motorsport

Probably a first for motorsport

But shouldn't his codriver also be given the recognition

[swissknife]

It is long overdue that motorsport is recognized as a true sport. There have been many people who have contributed to the sport without being given due recognition. It's never too late.

Best wishes to Gaurav.

[V.Narayan]

Good to see motor sports getting recognition in our country. While I have nothing against cricket but one sport enjoying a budget/sponsorships probably greater than all other sports combined is a unhealthy state. Good for this young man.

[khanak]

Gaurav Gill Becomes The First-Ever Recipient Of The Arjuna Award In Motorsport


Ace rally driver Gaurav Gill has become the first motorsport athlete to be awarded the Arjuna Award 2019, which is the highest civilian honour for sports in India.

By Sameer Contractor
| Published: 3 hours ago 3,201 Views






View Photos
In a big milestone for Indian motorsport, rallyist Gaurav Gill has become the first-ever person from the field of motorsports to win the Arjuna Award. The ace rally driver received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind at a special ceremony recognising his efforts. Gill's victory isn't just a big moment for the motorsport athlete but also a huge one for the sport and its contribution that has been largely ignored by the government over the years. The Arjuna Award is awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to recognise the outstanding achievement. It is the highest civilian honour for sports in the country.
Also Read: Gaurav Gill Nominated For Arjuna Award 2019
Gill has an illustrious motorsport career to his name. The 37-year-old is a three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion (APRC), the only Indian to do so, and has won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) six times over the years. He also competed in the WRC2 the previous year as a non-priority entre, and will participate once again this year in three rounds - Rally Turkey, Wales Rally GB and Rally Australia. Gaurav Gill also has a distinction of having won the Dakshin Dare rally every time he has participated in it.



Gaurav Gill in the Mahindra Super XUV300 at the INRC 2019

Interestingly, it was only in 2015 that the Sports Ministry recognised motor racing as a sport and included the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) in the list of national sports federations. The FMSCI had been recommending Gaurav Gill's name to the Sports Ministry for the prestigious award for three years now.
Gill's victory not only brings the athlete and the Indian motorsport scene more recognition, it is sure to encourage more the youth to consider motorsport that has a strong and ever-growing global scale. This in turn will only help build a larger ecosystem for both the competitors and the sponsors, helping the sport grow in many forms.

https://auto.ndtv.com/news/gaurav-gi...rsport-2092477

[swissknife]

Congratulations to Gaurav! May there be many more.

[SJM1214]

It's great to see that Motorsports is recognized as an Arjuna Award-worthy sports in India. Hope this award brings the public eye's attention to Motorsports in India. Many Congratulations to Gaurav Gill.

By the way, Is Gaurav a BHPian?

[lifeat100k]

Fantastic News! Congratulations to Gaurav Gill Keep Rallying Hard.Nice to hear that a person from motorsports is being finally given recognition in India.It is a great recognition for the motorsport fraternity in India.Congratulations

[bigron]

More power to him. I am happy that the sport is getting some public eye. A small step but a right step.

[BlackPearl]

Congratulations Gaurav, fantastic achievement! Wish him many more awards in the coming years.
I feel proud to have had a training session called Gill Drill some 12 years back in Bangalore. Just a few days back I excavated a few pictures of that event from a backup hard drive