Motorsports: Gajaba Supercross 2017 on Sunday

With the wake of the annual Gajaba Supercross 2017 motorsport event which is set to take place next Sunday at the Saliyapura Camp in Anuradhapura, the Colonel of the Regiment of Gajaba Regiment, Major General Shavendra Silva, expects the annual motorsport event to become more attractive and interest generating. 

In addition of expectations to give motorsports lovers a good show, the Major General hopes the Regiment's intake process take a new turn by giving sportsmen with higher goals more opportunities. 

This he revealed after an official press conference held to launch the Gajaba Supercross 2017 in Colombo last Wednesday (16). 

"If you thoroughly observe majority of the sportspersons in the country come from the Army, and quite a number of them are from the Gajaba Regiment. I, as the Colonel of the Regiment, would like to invite men, as we don't have women in our regiment, to join us. We will help them reach the pinnacle of their respective sports discipline. Sri Lanka is a country without a war now, and we are in the process of recruiting sportsmen. We would like to have the best sportsmen in our country joining us. They can definitely improve and develop, the horizon will be open for them to perform and reach greater heights," the decorated and highly respected Military official stated.

More than just a mere sporting event, the Gajaba Supercross, according to Major General Silva, is a platform to expose different abilities of the Regiment and its officers. 

Though the sole intention of holding this annual motorsport event was somewhat different from now when it was initiated in 1999, the Regiment is still moving forward with its customary exercise of providing the needy and deserved. 

Their intentions have amplified from one level to another. 

"All depends on the amount of funds we will be able to generate annually. More than half the portions we earn are distributed among the 24 Battalions of Gajaba Regiment. These Battalions have members who have passed away, permanently injured or disabled to look after. At present there are seven houses under construction. Also we plan to put up new houses, renovate existing ones, uplift the welfare of the Senapura Camp, where we have more than 2000 soldiers. We also cannot forget the welfare of the soldiers living. Army is doing everything possible," he added.

The second oldest supercross event of the island, Gajaba Supercross is famous for its track, which is the fastest and longest gravel track available in Sri Lanka. 

Second to only the legendary Fox Hill Supercross, an annual motorsport event conducted by the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa, Gajaba Supercross has the ability to provide the best to its participants -- competitors and spectators -- as the Major General proudly claimed. 

In addition this event is earmarked as the only motorsport event to happen annually for enthusiasts in the north central, northern, central and the Wanni regions. 

In an era where Sri Lanka is focusing highly on reconciliation, Major General Silva is certain that Gajaba Supercross can play a major role in leveling out differences among various ethnicities. 

"Certain competitors would like to drive on a fast and exciting track, when you consider with other tracks in Sri Lanka, the Gajaba track inside the Saliyapura Camp is the ideal place. It's a statement that even organisers and sponsors have identified. For us, beyond Kurunegala up to the north, this is the only supercross for the motorsports lovers of Wanni, Rajarata, Matale and Kurunegala to witness once a year. We can surely say that people from Jaffna and Wanni will not travel all the way down the belt to witness a motorsports event. This is the easiest accessible event for them. This type of a event help build the image of Sri Lanka Army. Spectators come and watch this and enjoy the races. In the meantime the spectacular type of organising we put across to this event, are lessons learnt for people to see how to organise things. We are showing the younger generation of the military and others how to organise events and also how we look after our men who have served and serving the country."

Next Sunday's Gajaba Supercross will be the 16th installation since its inception in 1999 and over 200 outstanding drivers and riders are expected to take part in 25 events. 

The event is conducted in collaboration with Sri Lanka Autosports Drivers' Association, also known as SLADA.