Government spending should benefit entire motorsports industry, not selected personalities - Bobie Farid
OneXoX TKKR Racing Team principle, Bobby Farid Shamsuddin
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OneXoX TKKR Racing Team principal Bobie Farid Shamsuddin cited the need to restrategise government funding towards motorsports due to the fact that despite multi-million ringgit annual expenditure on motorsports in the past two decades, the programmes sponsored have not produced exceptional results, while the industry too has not grown and private investors are left struggling.
"If we want to call ourselves a motorsports nation, then we should look at who we are competing against. Being involved in the World Championship, I have personally seen how it is done in countries such as Spain and Italy, who are at the top of the game," said Bobie.
"They have the infrastructure in place to allow the sport to grow, such as multiple tracks which are accessible and affordable for teams to utilise, thus riders are developed much more efficiently than we do here," said Bobie.
"Then you look at us here, we have just one track which is suitable for high performance development. How our riders are developed is, from the streets. We basically pick them up off the street races and turn them into riders.
"Some people will not like me saying this, but this is where we are."
He was speaking at the contract signing of OneXoX TKKR Racing Team new recruits for their Malaysian Cub Prix Championship campaign here on Friday.
Bobie said the Youth and Sports Ministry should open up and view the industry as a whole as in order for motorsports to grow and for the industry to contribute to the nation.
"What they (the Ministry) have been doing all this while is channelling funds to programmes run by the same few people over and over again. But where are the results? They should realise that there are many others like us, who are spending millions of ringgit to develop riders, without any help from the government," said Bobie, adding the the industry was aware of the matter, but could not influence the government to see the bigger picture.
"By doing that, they are not helping the industry. The industry is struggling and eventually people give up and leave the sport. The government should be looking more seriously at policies and infrastructure that will benefit the whole industry, not just a few people."
Meanwhile, OneXoX TKKR Racing have signed six new recruits, with the youngest being 18-year old Md Norhakim Norhafizullah, ahead of this year's Malaysian Cub Prix Championship and Asia Road Racing Championship season.
According to OneXoX TKKR Racing Team Assistant chef de mission Syed Ahmad Nizam, he hoped that these young talents will be able to continue the legacy of the team.
"We have put high expectations on them, so hopefully they can commit to this plan," he said.
Md Norhakim said he was grateful for the opportunity to compete in the CP150 category where the competition is always tough especially since it is filled with seasoned riders.
"It is a tough competition but I will do my best to land among the top positions and win the championship," he said.
The Kelantan-born rider added that being able to race in this category will give him new experience and knowledge which can make him better in this sport.
Five others signed by the team on Friday were Abdullah Qayyum Abdul Razak, 20, Md Shafiq Rasol, 26, Md Hafiza Rofa, 26, Md Muzakkir Mohamad, 31, and Ahmad Fazli Sham Ahamad Walat, 41.
