F1 is not a sport in India

The Sports Ministry has said that F1 is not a sport and "the race would have no impact on the development of sports in India".

According to a report in national daily, the Times of India, the ministry wrote in a letter to JPSK Sports, the promoters of Formula One in India, that their request for a nod on remittance of $36.5 million (about Rs 177 crore) to be paid to Formula One Administration (UK) for holding an F1 race in India had been rejected on the grounds that Formula One is not a "sport but entertainment".

The newspaper report said JPSK had initially gone to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which had asked them to get the ministry's approval.

According to sources, the ministry felt that F1 is not needed in India and the money can be spent on development of disciplines which have more following in the country.

The letter, issued in January, 2009 says that F1 will not have an impact on Indian sports "in terms of either participation, broad-basing or promotion of excellence".

"F1 is not purely sports. It is entertainment and this venture by JKSP is a commercial initiative," said a ministry source.

"The proposed F1 race does not satisfy conditions which focus on human endeavour for excelling in competition with others, keeping in view the whole sports movement from Olympics downwards," the source was quoted as saying in the TOI report.

Sameer Gaur, MD, JPSK has apparently confirmed to TOI that the Sports Ministry had rejected their request.

Source: ESPN