Bengaluru-based Aishwarya Pissay became the first Indian to win a world title in motorsports after winning the FIM World Cup in women's category. She made history after finishing fourth in the last round of the championship in Varpalota, Hungary on Monday.
The FIM World Cup was conducted by the International Motorcycling Federation, the governing body for motorcycle racing.
Aishwarya won the first round in Dubai, and accumulated 52 points after coming in third in Portugal and fifth in Spain. At the end of the last round in Hungary, Aishwarya earned 65 points in total, four ahead of her nearest rival, Portugal's Rita Vieira.
Aishwarya completed all four rounds of the race and it worked to her advantage, giving her crucial points that boosted her final tally.
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The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the governing body for motorsports in India, tweeted about her achievement. “Aishwarya Pissay of TVS clinches the FIM Baja World Cup 2019 in women’s category. FMSCI congratulates India’s first ever FIM World Cup champion,” FMSCI tweeted.
The 23-year-old also finished second in the FIM Junior category, competing against both men and women. She earned 46 points, 14 points behind championship winner Tomas de Gavardo of Chile. Aishwarya intends to make her mark in the Dakar Rally next.
Aishwarya is also the first Indian female rider to compete in the gruelling Baja Aragon Rally in 2018. However, Aishwarya crashed during the Baja Aragon Rally and ruptured her pancreas.
She also won three national championship awards last year and managed to finish both Raid de Himalaya and Dakshin Dare, two of India’s biggest motoring races.
