Sanjay Takle honoured by FMSCI for his 2024 international podium finishes
By Sanjay Jadhav
March 25, 2025
Pune: Pune-based international rally driver Sanjay Takale, who this year became the first Indian to compete and finish the iconic and gruesome Dakar Rally in The Classic car category, was on Saturday felicitated by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) at its annual grand gala ceremony for his 2024 international accolades.
Takale, however, was not present in person to receive his award as he was busy training ice driving in Sweden.
On his behalf the award was accepted by his daughter, Sanjana. In 2024 Takale’s key podium finishes were at Asia cross-country rally in Thailand and the top finish in the Malaysian rally championship.
Along with Takale, the FMSCI presented awards to 170 drivers across 17 disciplines, and along with them honoured volunteers and officials—a first in its annual felicitation ceremony.
The volunteers and officials were awarded for the smooth and flawless conduct of all the events.
“The volunteers, officials, corporates and media are one among the five connecting pillars of motorsports and they deserve all the accolades,” FMSCI President Arindam Ghosh said.
‘If all the five are inter-connected in a proper manner, motorsports will grow by leaps and bounds,” Ghosh added.
He also spoke about the substantial enhanced bidding for events, a sign of the growing popularity of motor sports in India.
The city of Pune had one more awardee along with Takale. That was Diana Pundole, who became the first Indian woman to win a National hampionship in the history of Indian Motorsports wherein female drivers competed on equal footing with male drivers. She had won the National title in the MMSC FMSCI Championship last year in the saloon cars class.
The FMSCI also honoured other drivers for their ‘Outstanding Performances’ in international events and they were: Aishwarya Pissay and Sarthak Chavan.
