MALAYSIAN RALLY LEGEND KARAMJIT HOPE TO MAKE COMEBACK IN 2021 APRC

Karamjit with his Proton Satria Neo during the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championships

11 DEC 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: National rally legend Karamjit Singh, who quit the sport in 2012 due to financial constraints, hopes to make a comeback by participating in next season’s Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

Proton latest rally car, the Proton Iriz R5 developed by MEM

However, the 58-year-old, who revealed that he had got his hands on a Proton Iriz that was modified in England, is still looking for sponsors to take care of the costs for spare parts, flight tickets and accommodation throughout the eight rounds of the APRC next season.

The 2002 National Sportsman, who is better known as ‘The Flying Sikh’, said he would need at least RM3 million per season to cover all the costs.

Karamjit is the only top Malaysian Rally Driver to date, who also known as the 'Flying Sikh'

“In my meeting with the Youth and Sports Minister (Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican) at the Parliament (building) today, he promised that he would try to help me get the (financial) sponsorship to compete in the APRC next year,” Karamjit, who won the APRC title in 2002 and 2004, told a press conference today.

Meanwhile, National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed, who also attended the meeting with Reezal Merican at the Parliament today, hoped that corporate firms in the country would be able to help Karamjit achieve his dream of returning to action in next season’s APRC.

Noorul Arriffin said it was difficult for Yakeb to assist Karamjit as they only provided aid to former athletes who had featured in international multi-sport Games, such as the SEA Games.

Karamjit’s plight went viral on social media after he sold his favourite Proton Waja car for RM7,000 in order to buy a new car to be a Grab driver and make ends meet. - Bernama