On October 30, 2011, a glorious chapter was added to India’s growing stature in the world despite its glaring adversities. The much awaited event of the year “the first Indian Grand Prix Formula One race” was held at the imposing Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.
Although there are people who doubt if Formula One is a sport, yet the curiosity and excitement it generated was amazing, (at least in the media). The fact that the race took place amidst over enthusiastic coverage by media and without any glitches, is an achievement. As the event inched closure, the marketing of the race reached it’s zenith with both print and electronic media splashed with broad coverage of the sport at Buddh International circuit. The likes of Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and our own Narain Karthikeyan were given sizeable space in news papers and news channels. No stone was left unturned to make people aware of this relatively new sport and its grand debut on Indian soil. By the time the d-day came, it seemed, many had become connoisseurs of the game. As if that wasn’t enough, Bollywood and Cricket celebrities were shown too much interested in the Grand Prix, the first time in India. On the day, half the Indian cricket team and bollywood actors were present there with Sachin Tendulkar and Shahrukh Khan visibly enjoying every moment out there.
Germany’s Sebastian Vettel from Team Red Bull won the inaugural Indian Grand Prix Formula One race. As the he lifted the trophy from the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, there were delight and satisfaction in equal proportion in the eyes of the people who made this event a success and thousands of Indian fans who love the game.
The Buddh International race circuit received wide applauds and thumbs up from the racers and experts alike. The successful completion of an international event as big and prestigious as Formula One race is a big thing in a county like ours, where we are still trying to forget the shoddy management and construction work in the run up to the CWG 2010 Delhi.
Despite tickets being costly by Indian standards, ninety five thousand spectators came to watch the race. Even the organizers had not expected these many people.
Of course media played a huge role in the success of the event. With the race being a complete private entity, the media didn’t have much to write against. This showed how well an event could be managed. The marketing strategy was meticulously designed and with media going ga-ga over the race even before Lady Ga Ga arrived to perform at the closing ceremony, everything went as planned.
The success of such events make many people feel that we are really catching up with the world, that we are indeed an emerging superpower. At the same time this also reiterates the fact that India is the most unique country in world with astonishing wealth and acute poverty, flourishing on either side of the road of equality!
On one hand we are prospering, getting ready to rule the world and on the other hand more than half of us are still living in appalling conditions with most number of poor and malnourished people. Formula One is an annual fixture. It will be held every year in October at Buddh international circuit in Noida in West Uttar Pradesh. Encephalitis has also become an annual affair that claims hundreds of lives in Gorakhpur in East Uttar Pradesh. This year alone, more than 502 children have died due to Encephalitis so far. Poor people can’t even be provided with basic sanitation and health amenities. Truly, India is a land of paradoxes.
Having said this, one can not deny the fact that it’s the government’s apathy, inefficiency and corruption that impinge any development work or from providing better health care services in regions like eastern Uttar Pradesh where hundreds of children die each year due to diseases like Encephalitis.
Events like Formula One bring employment opportunity to hundreds of people. The successes of such prestigious and hugely popular sporting events attract foreign investment and confidence in our economy and our capability to launch big events.
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