Amaravati gears up for F1 Power Boating World Championship

The lesser known Andhra Pradesh town of Amaravati is all set to witness exciting water sports action when the sixth round of the F1H2O World Championship takes place on the banks of the Krishna river from November 16 to 18, the organisers announced here on Wednesday.

The Formula 1 Power Boating race is making a grand comeback to India after a long gap of 14 years, after Mumbai hosted it for the first time way back in 2004.

Hosts India also boast of a local team battling for the top honours among the 19 taking part in the competition. Sweden's Jonas Andersson and Erik Edin will be the two key race drivers for the Indian side -- Team Amaravati.

"We are excited to bring the fifth round of the F1H2O to India, as it's relatively new for the Indian audience. This country has huge potential in water sports and we are confident of unearthing a few local talent in the years to come," Marco Pietrini, Director of Logistics F1H20 told IANS here.

When asked if the event is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Pietrini said: "This is by far the sole F1 event to be recognised by the IOC. In fact, this was an Olympic event many decades back and we are trying to revive its past glory".

The 23 km stretch along the Krishna will turn into a carnival site celebrating the best of the sport along with a host of other exciting activities to engage the crowd and showcase the arts, culture and delectable cuisine of Andhra Pradesh.

On the opening day, the powerboats will have a free practice session, before battling for pole position and the top 12 spots the following day.

On the final day, a knock out will be held wherein the top 6 teams will qualify for the final Grand Prix India and a spectacular parade tour.

--IANS

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