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India's Aishwarya Pissay makes history by winning FIM Bajas Women's World Cup

The TVS Racing rider, emerged victorious in the four-round cross country rally based on the total points, with her victory in the first round in Dubai standing her in good stead.

Aishwarya Pissay

Bengaluru, August 12: Bengaluru-based Aishwarya Pissay created histroy by becoming the first Indian to win the FIM Bajas World Cup in the women's category, which she earned, by virtue of her fourth-place finish at the Hungarian Baja, the fourth and final round of the championship, at Varpalota (Hungary) recently.

The TVS Racing rider, emerged victorious in the four-round cross country rally based on the total points, with her victory in the first round in Dubai helping her in long way in lifting the title.

In the fourth round in Hungary, the second-placed Vieira Rita, could only finish third and thus Aishwarya who finished fourth managed to keep her lead and clinch the FIM Bajas World Cup.

The 23-year-old is sponsored by TVS, Sidvin, Mountain Dew, Scott Motorsports India, K&N, Cult Sport and BigRock Dirt Park. Before the start of the final round she was leading the women's category by seven points, after having won in Dubai, finished third in Portugal and fifth in Spain.

Romero Font Rosa won the Hungarian round in this class and Garcia Alvarez Sara finished second.

After 805km, including 588km on competitive selective sections around Várpalota and Lake Balaton, the Hungarian Baja rounded off the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup 2019.

The Hungarian Baja comprised five Special Stages totalling 588.26 km besides 205.66 of Liaison section. The competitors were flagged-off late on Thursday (August 8) for SS-1 (7.18 Kms) near to this former mining town.

Last year, Aishwarya had become the first Indian female ride to compete in the gruelling Baja Aragon Rally. That rally ended prematurely for Aishwarya as she crashed and ruptured her pancreas in the process.

But that painful experience did not dent her passion for the sport and she went on clinch her maiden FIM Bajas World Cup title a year later in what could be seen as a first step to prepare her for an eventual tilt at the most gruelling off-road races of all times -- the Dakar Rally.

The dedicated off-road racer, who began riding as a teenager in her home town of Bengaluru, has many first to her credit, including being the first Indian woman to have won five national road racing and rally championship titles combined.

Story first published: Monday, August 12, 2019, 14:41 [IST]
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