They love the sport as much as sportspersons do and are normally the face of any multi-discipline sports event. Their willingness to put sportspersons, officials and visitors at ease by extending a helping hand or handling specialised jobs is a major factor in determining the eventual success of any sporting event. Yes,

we are talking about sports marshals, an ebullient volunteer force of men and women, boys and girls, young and old, professionals and students from different walks of life who are gearing up to make India’s Grand Prix a mega success.
Take the case of Raj Kapoor, chief executive officer of a firm in the service industry. Kapoor, who is doubling up as the head of the fire and the rescue team of marshals for the Indian Formula One (F1), is thrilled to be on board. “It is such an amazing experience to be part of something so big and to feel that you are going to play such an important role. The team is preparing hard for the event to ensure that there is no incident of fire resulting from either the collusion of cars or mechanical failure. We are a big group with over a hundred marshals, 13-14 support vehicles, specialised instruments and machines along with experienced specialists to perform the job.”
As the country looks forward to its first-ever F1 race from October 28-30, about 850 racing and rally enthusiasts including medical staff are working hard as marshals of the sport. Despite being in regular jobs, these are a motivated bunch from all walks of life: stock brokers, chefs, teachers, students to IT professionals. And they are in key roles because they love the sport.
Investing their time on weekends as well as their privilege leave to participate in those all important training classes, the enthusiasts have been divided into different teams — fire marshals, flag marshals, track marshals, welfare marshals and those who look after the logistics.
“These are tough jobs. You have to be out at least eight to 10 hours in the sun. On our part, we are providing the volunteers with the best training including safety programmes. We to have enthusiasts from varied backgrounds.
About 150 marshals are also coming from motor sports club of Bahrain to assist us in our endeavour,” says Farhan Vohra, General Manager, Sports Operation, Jaypee Group.
According to Samir Suneja, a marshal who is an IT and telecom professional and runs a company that provides services to the defence and para-military sector, “Although it is very hard work — exhausting at times, I would definitely recommend volunteering for this big sporting event to everybody out there. You're right there in the thick of the action. If you love the sport, have the grit and are sensible, boy! this is the place to be!”
Suneja is brimming with enthusiasm despite the fact that he will be wearing a three-layered special suit with gloves and helmet in this sultry weather. “I will be as hot as the racing machines,” he says with a laugh.
“It is like being part of history. This is such a prestigious event and as a car and bike enthusiast, it’s a dream come true for me. A once in a life-time experience where I will get to see and feel the thrill; know the track inside out and get prepared for the job,” adds Prashant Teki, a communication specialist who is also undergoing training as a marshal.
At the end of the event the marshals will have become experts on how to cut open a car, how to use flags to communicate, how to identify a post or conduct a rescue and fire operation. Teki however is eagerly waiting to see the legends of the sport in the flesh and, as he says, “touch those exotic mean machines”.
Veissali Kapoor, the head marshal of the welfare department and a bold representative of the fairer sex, says that her employer, the American Embassy School, is proud of her because of this association of ‘love’. “We have such an interesting mix of people in our team who share a common passion. Volunteering is the most unselfish, loving thing a person can do. The sport grows on you if you participate in such events. In my case, I love rallying, it is in my blood. So, it is a natural progression for me to be engaged with this event. And it is wrong to assume that girls don’t enjoy motor sports,” she concludes with a smile.