logo
Child Prodigy Atiqa Mir To Be Part Of AKCEL GP Academy's Inaugural Batch

Child Prodigy Atiqa Mir To Be Part Of AKCEL GP Academy's Inaugural Batch

News1802-06-2025
Mir will be part of 15 promising young drivers at the academy in the Dubai-based team's inaugural cohort.
Indian racing prodigy Atiqa Mir will feature in the inaugural batch of the UAE-based team AKCEL GP's Academy as the ten-year-old takes another giant strike towards the automotive dream.
Mir, the first Indian to earn a berth in F1 Academy's DYD program on the back of promising results on the global karting circuit, will be part of 15 promising young drivers at the new academy seeking to introduce the cutting edge of the motorsport world to the upcoming generation.
AKCEL GP is a high-performance motorsport unit with a presence in FIA F4 and Formula Regional Middle East Championship in addition to FIA F3.
'Racing is everything to me. It's where I feel strong, fast, and free," the prodigy said.
'Joining AKCEL GP Academy is a dream come true, and I want to show young girls like me from Dubai and India that we can compete at the highest levels. One day, I hope to race in Formula 1,and I'm ready to work hard to get there," she added.
advetisement
ALSO READ| Macron On Violence In Paris After PSG's UCL Win: 'Nothing Can Justify…'
'Atiqa's talent, focus, and composure on track are well beyond her years. Over the next 15 years, we're committed to guiding her development from karting to single-seaters, as she grows into a world-class racer and future F1 contender," Chairman of AKCEL Amit Kaushal said.
'The academy will serve as a cutting-edge training ground for the next generation of racing talent from the UAE and abroad," the team said.
ALSO READ| French Police Detain Fans During PSG Champions League Triumph Celebrations
Mir has competed in some of the world's most prestigious karting championships, including the Rotax Euro Trophy, Rotax International Trophy, IAME Series in UAE and Europe, WSK Euro Series, WSK Super Master Series, and the Champions of the Future Academy. AKCEL GP will support Atiqa in her progression from karting to single-seaters.
First Published:
June 02, 2025, 20:30 IST
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Inter-State Buses Add To Traffic Misery In City
Inter-State Buses Add To Traffic Misery In City

Time of India

time23 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Inter-State Buses Add To Traffic Misery In City

Nagpur: Even as the debate over the role of private buses in creating traffic congestion continues, a new dimension has been added with inter-state buses now under the scanner. According to local transport operators and traffic officials, buses arriving from other states are causing more chaos on city roads as they lack designated parking spaces and halt for extended periods to pick up passengers. Sources said that a large number of buses from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat enter the city daily. Unlike Nagpur-based long-distance or inter-city buses, which usually pick up passengers and leave within a short time, these outside operators tend to stay parked on busy roads for hours. "Many of these buses accomodate passengers beyond their seating capacity and wait on the streets for longer hours until they secure extra passengers. This adds to the already heavy traffic burden," said one local operator. The problem is severe on Central Avenue, one of Nagpur's busiest roads. Already congested during peak hours, the stretch regularly sees long queues of inter-state buses parked in tandem, blocking large portions of the road and leaving little space for regular commuters. Interestingly, during police action on Wednesday, the major focus was on Central Avenue where the highest number of actions were taken. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Malaysians don't know about this! iOS Credit Read More Undo "Hyderabad-based buses are comparatively prompt as they pick up and depart quickly. But vehicles from other states are the ones that halt for longer durations," the operator added. Apart from Central Avenue, the buses also use pick-up and drop-off points at Bole Petrol Pump, Ravi Nagar, and Chhatrapati Square. All three locations are critical junctions, and frequent halts by heavy vehicles further compound the traffic jams. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.

Sara Tendulkar recalls Australia memories, reveals why she never pursued cricket
Sara Tendulkar recalls Australia memories, reveals why she never pursued cricket

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

Sara Tendulkar recalls Australia memories, reveals why she never pursued cricket

For most of her childhood, Sara Tendulkar's connection with Australia was shaped by the rhythm of her father Sachin Tendulkar's cricketing tours. Today, years later, those personal memories are coming full circle as she steps into the spotlight in her own right as the new face of Tourism Australia's Come and Say G'day campaign for Indian campaign, which has already found global success with its animated mascot Ruby the Souvenir Kangaroo, marks one of Sara's first major brand collaborations. For her, though, the association is more than symbolic. Australia, she says, has been part of her life story for as long as she can my dad playing and travelling to Australia so much... The first time I visited Australia was in 1999. Ever since, I have visited the country once every four years. I have a lot of childhood memories there, and they were always very happy,' Sara told India Today on Wednesday, 20 August. 'My brother and I were very thrilled. We didn't get to see our dad too much because he was always travelling for cricket. When we would go there, we would be very happy to spend as much time with him,' she 27, fondly recalled spending New Year's Eves in Sydney with her father and the rest of the Indian cricket team. 'I distinctly remember spending New Year's Eve in Australia in Sydney, the ones we were there when we visited every four years. We would spend New Year's Eve on a boat with the whole team. That's something I will never forget,' she MYSELF TO GULLY CRICKETShe also spoke of her frequent visits to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground during her younger years. Just last December, she was spotted cheering for India during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, an experience that gave her a new appreciation of its atmosphere.'When I was young, I don't think I realised the significance of the MCG. But now, when I went back, all those memories came rushing back,' she said, reflecting on how her understanding of the stadium's importance has grown with time. Even with such intimate proximity to cricket, Sara is clear the sport was never on her horizon. 'Never. It's been my brother's forte. I have played gully cricket, but never thought about it.'She might have countless favourite memories of her father's iconic knocks, but the most vivid, Sara says, is of his farewell to the game in 2013.'If I have to pick one vivid memory, then I would pick his retirement match. I was old enough to really understand what that meant at that point. When I was younger, I went for the games, but I never really grasped the enormity of them.'Stepping into the limelight in her own way has also meant learning to navigate public attention. Sara credits her father for grounding her with advice that continues to guide her. 'He always told me that when I have freedom and independence, I should always be responsible. That's something that I have tried to follow when I left for college.'Her association with Tourism Australia reflects just that balance: personal history meeting new opportunities. The tourism board, which has identified India as one of its fastest-growing markets, has launched the second phase of its campaign tailored for Indian travellers, placing Sara at the centre as someone who has lived those experiences herself.- Ends

AIFF's government funding slashed by half as Sports Ministry awards massive hike to yoga
AIFF's government funding slashed by half as Sports Ministry awards massive hike to yoga

First Post

timean hour ago

  • First Post

AIFF's government funding slashed by half as Sports Ministry awards massive hike to yoga

Football has been among the biggest losers in Indian sport when it comes to receiving government funding, its allocation coming down to Rs 8.78 crore from Rs 15 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 30 crore in 2019-20. Yoga, on the other hand, has received a hike of nearly 400 per cent from the sports ministry. While Indian football has been among the biggest losers in terms of government funding, yoga has received a major push. PTI Yoga emerged the biggest beneficiary of the Government of India's allocation of budget for various sports, receiving a hike of nearly 400 per cent compared to what it was receiving in 2022-23. Football, a sport that is perceived to be in a state of crisis in the cricket-mad nation, were in for another blow with their financial assistance slashed by half. Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya revealed the figures during the ongoing monsoon session of the parliament, responding to a question from BJP MP Sadanand Tanavade in the Rajya Sabha. Besides yoga and football, table tennis received a 50 per cent hike while athletics received a minor reduction in their assistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yogasana India had been receiving Rs 1.3 crore in 2022-23, but are now set to receive Rs 4.89 crore – which is close to the Rs 5.2 crore that has been set aside for the All India Chess Federation. At the same time, it will be getting a higher share of the government funding pie compared to basketball (Rs 4.75 crore in 2024-25), volleyball (Rs 4.39 crore) and squash (Rs 4.45 crore). 'As a federation, we started getting funding very recently from the government. Unlike many other sports that have come to India from abroad, we are taking India's heritage to the world. For that, we need to do substantial work,' Yogasana India president Udit Sheth was quoted by The Indian Express as saying. The Kalyan Chaubey-led All India Football Federation – which currently finds itself mired in crisis over the fate of the Indian Super League – witnessed its government funding reduced by nearly half from Rs 15 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 8.78 crore in 2024-25. This is, after all, the same sport that used to receive Rs 30 crore from the Centre not too long ago (2019-20). Athletics and boxing have had minor reductions as well. The allocation for the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) currently stands at Rs 26 crore from Rs 30 crore in 2022-23 while the corresponding figure for the Boxing Federation of India stands at Rs 22 crore from Rs 24 crore in 2022-23. Yoga is a demonstration sport at next year's Asian Games in Japan and will also likely be included in the 2030 Commonwealth Games should India win the hosting rights for the event. The push in the yoga budget might have been made keeping this events in mind.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store