SHILLONG, April 11: In an earnest bid to revive the dying art of making a wooden kart and to promote its usage in modern days, a wooden kart race, claimed to be India’s first, will be held at the Evergreen Route at Kharang village in East Khasi Hills on April 30, organisers said on Monday.
The Kharang Sports & Social Welfare Club, which is one the oldest clubs in Meghalaya, is organising the event to celebrate the state’s 50th statehood and the club’s 50th anniversary, they said.
“We are celebrating the state’s 50th year of statehood and the club’s 50th anniversary year by organising various events throughout the year. The kart race is one of the highlights of the celebration,” club adviser Banjop D Mukhim said while addressing a press conference here.
As part of the event, the club is also organising the state’s first MTB-XCO event with the technical backup from officials of the Meghalaya Cycling Association, he said.
Calling for the participation of corporate houses, offices and businesses, Mukhim said talents from the respective organisations can field their best men and women for the competition.
On the technical details, the club’s president Khrawkupar Warjri said karts with wooden chassis and wooden body with tyre diameters not more than 1 feet and tyre thickness not less than 2 inch will be eligible to partake in the event.
Participants will have to bring their kart to the location and submit the forms and pay the registration fee on April 29 at the venue itself, following which they will be allotted their kit bag and ‘bip’ numbers.
Meghalaya Cycling Association vice president, Banshanlang Khyllait, said the MTB – XCO event is one of the most exciting events to be organised at the club level.
Khyllait, who is part of the technical team to build the track for the cycling event, said that this event will give opportunity for the local talents to hone their skills as athletes from other states would also participate in the event.
Khyllait, who represented the state in various regional and national cycling competitions, said, “I assure you this is one of India’s finest tracks for XCO event,” he said.
The registration forms and copies of the rules can be collected from ProCycling, a bicyle shop near St. Edmund’s School here.
