Over 800 women compete in city rally to mark International Women’s Day

Mumbai, March 5: The city of Mumbai witnessed girl power at its brightest and strongest as over 800 ladies turned up to compete in an all-women’s rally here on Sunday.

A picnic-like atmosphere reigned at Hotel Sahara where the flag-off took place at 8 am, as one after the other over 260 freshly painted and decorated cars set off on their 150-kilometre quest for glory. 

In a unique innovation, most of the participants used the occasion to send out their messages to the society, with women empowerment as the most common theme. ‘One girl with courage is a revolution’ screamed one message; ‘To hell with sugar n spice’ said another, ‘we are all about talent, commitment, guts, toughness’ it added.

Interestingly, demonetisation was another popular theme with a number of colours painted in the colours of the new two thousand rupee note. Pink and green were the most common colours while a brave young girl turned her car into a chariot, with five stallions painted ahead of her bonnet. 

‘This is truly phenomenal,” Sanjay Sharma, the head of JK Motorsports, one of the sponsors, said. ‘Most of these women who turned out in such big numbers are passionate about motor sports. If even one per cent of them take it up seriously, we would have achieved our goal,” he added.

The rally which has been organised by WIAA for the third year in succession to mark International Women’s Day is primed to create road safety awareness for ladies and is blessed by the FMSCI, the parent body for motor sports in the country.

The winners will be felicitated at a grand awards function on March 8, the International Women’s Day.

‘We will conduct this highly successful rally in four more cities from next year,’ Nitin Dossa, the president of WIAA, the organisers said.