Dakar 2020 Gets Closer To India

Saudi Arabia is in top running to host the next five editions of the Dakar rally. The last 10 editions took place in South America as the original Paris-Dakar rally had to be cancelled due to terrorist threats along the route in Mauritania in 2008. Amaury Sports Organisation, Dakar’s governing body, is set to make an official announcement in the coming weeks regarding the new host for the Dakar rally.

For the first time in Dakar history, the 2019 rally took place in just a single country -- i.e. Peru -- as the other South American countries failed to come to an agreement with ASO. With rising economic unrest in South America, ASO was forced to look elsewhere with Saudi Arabia and South Africa being the two main candidates. Apparently, the former seems to have bagged the deal.

The move to Saudi Arabia will help Indian teams as well as new Indian aspirants a chance to showcase their talent closer to home. It is after all the biggest stage of them all. We got in touch with 2019 Dakar finisher and Sherco-TVS Racing’s star rider Aravind KP and he could not be more delighted with this move. He said, “I am happy as it’s closer to India. It’s going to be full of sand and will be physical, I guess.”