Cholistan jeep rally: The fast and the furious

The heartbeats of onlookers race as fast as the jeeps in this annual rally.

BAHAWALPUR: He is 52 years old, but has the energy that would give any strapping young man a run for his money. Mian Faiz-ul-Rasheed Abbasi says that his passion for racing keeps him from aging and he feels young so long as he keeps driving and participating in races.

This resident of Model Town Bahawalpur who drives a 4000cc Wrangler is one of the more than 80 participants who took part in Pakistan’s biggest motor sport challenge, the Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally. This was the ninth year of this rally. This year’s rally was held from 14 to 16 of February.

Race lovers look forward to this event that is held in the backdrop of the historic Derawar Fort, Bahawalpur. The event offers not just a great opportunity to avid racers but also a cultural experience that can boost the tourism of the area.

Abbasi is no novice, having participated in all 8 of the previous rallies as well. He has a long history of race driving as he first participated in a jeep rally in the year 1996. More than once, he was the first position holder.

Enthusiasts like Abbasi put in a lot of hard work into this sport. He is part of his area’s 4wheel club. The members used to visit Cholistan every month for practicing. Abbasi shared that to be part of every jeep rally, he has to spend between 400,000 and 500,000 rupees. He recalls a memorable moment during his racing career when, during the Cholistan Jeep Rally of 2009, his car broke down during the race. He and his navigator had to walk around nine kilometers to the nearest check post from where they got help and then got back to their camp.

Younger blood like 32-year-old Rao Muhammad Hamaad, who has participated in the last five events, also participate with fervour.  Rao, who has been participating in this sport since the age of 25, says he loves to race “as it makes me feel alive”.

The female factor

This year saw the first female participant in the rally. Tushna Patel has set a precedent by venturing into this male-dominated sport and taken the steering in her hands. Behind this daring woman is her husband and fellow racer Roni Patel, who is also one of the winners this year.

The audience

People interested in the adrenalin rush watching a race provides travel from all over the country to view the event. Talking to The Express Tribune, a group of young boys from Bahwalpur ready to camp in the desert shared their experiences. One of the group members, Sameer Ahmad Durrani, said that ten of his friends are going to watch the rally. All of them had contributed Rs5,000 each. With the money, they purchased food supplies, hired a chef and rented mattresses and camping material.

Categories and prizes

According to the General Manager Operations of Tourism Development Corporation Punjab (TDCP), Tanveer Jabbar, the registration fee for this year’s rally was Rs25,000 for each driver in the categories A, B, C and D. This year, S1 and S2 categories were also introduced in which amateur drivers took part. Registration fee for these categories was Rs15,000. Special camps were provided for families who booked them from TDCP’s office for Rs4,000.

 The first prize winners for categories A, B, C and D won Rs200,000, while second position holders will be awarded Rs150,000 and third position holders will bag Rs100,000 rupees. In the newly announced categories S1 and S2, the cash prizes are Rs80,000, Rs60,000 Rs40,000. In addition, all winners are awarded with trophies, medals and certificates.

Fortify the fort

However, the condition of the Derawar fort is deteriorating. Not enough attention is being paid towards this ancient heritage in terms of maintenance and providing facilities to the tourists who visit the fort.

Reaching the venue of the rally is not convenient as the roads leading to the fort are worn out. Also there are no hotels or motels in the area where people could stay overnight. Participants like Abbasi feel that the Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally has the potential of being an international event but if government does not work towards the provision of facilities, it may soon become a thing of the past.

At the finish line:

And the winners of 2014 are:

Category A:

1.     Nadir Magsi

2.     Rana Sameer Noon

3.     Zafar Magsi

Category B:

1.     Owais Khakwani

2.     Roni Patel

3.     Aamir Abbas

Category C:

1.     Manesh Kumar Chawla

2.     Dr Noorullah Qamar

3.     Ch. Mahmood Majeed

Category D:

1.     Khan Muhammad

2.     Mahrab Khan

3.     Mahmood Khan

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2014.

Correction: In an earlier version of the story, the female driver's name was given as Krishna Patel instead of Tushna Patel. The error is regretted.