Kadai, who was crowned the 2020 Indian National Champion in the Pro-Stock 400 class, has had ample experience racing in the Thailand Superbike 400 series alongside the Asia Cup in Japan.
The athlete has also competed in the Asia Road Racing Championship previously, but his moment of reckoning was participating in the maiden MotoGP Bharat, something that propelled him to international recognition. On that note, his acknowledgement of the ISBL is noteworthy, given that several riders across the nation are closely tracking developments around the space.
“The ISBL will be a good platform to develop riders in India. We can see interest rising across different cities and it could pave the way for more riders and sides to emerge in the circuit, while also expanding the existing talent pool for motorcycle racers in the country,” he said.
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Kadai was mentored by 11-time national champion Jagan Kumar in his teenage years, when he dropped out of high school to dabble full-time into the sport. He believes that similar energies need to be harnessed at the right age with the help of correct guidance to expedite the growth of Indian motorsports.
“Right now, the opportunities in Indian motorsports are growing gradually. The MotoGP came to the country in 2023 and I was proud to compete in that. I have competed in several TVS, Honda competitions both in India and abroad – at the Asian level, in Thailand, in road racing, amongst other categories. Nowadays, many youngsters are interested in the sport and we need to create chances for them. At the same time, they need to overcome distractions, get into the sport on a full-time basis, and that is how we can collectively encourage the development of the sport,” he said.
Kadai also touched temporarily upon the pain points that Indian riders face in the current scheme of things. He believes that there is an ample talent base prevalent, but the required infrastructure to platform them and make them realise their potential is missing. Riders have to often travel abroad, shell out their own money, and this limits their preparation. While they are able to make adjustments to participate in national competitions, greater facilities are needed for them to compete at the top-notch levels internationally.
A competition on the lines of ISBL could plug that gap, identifying the important addressable areas and give a meaning and method to the madness that the Indian motorcycle circuit presently finds itself in.
“The MotoGP coming into the country was a good move, but it got discontinued temporarily. Sponsorships and logistical issues are concerns for riders. Personally, I feel that there are not as many training facilities in India. We face issues on that front and hence have to travel abroad and train on our own. In basic racing, we have a spate of talented riders, who can ride on Indian circuits. But to touch the global racing levels, we need to train six days a week,” he said.
“We need to be at it physically and mentally. With motorcycles, it’s very different, the track adjustments and all are very different. There are tracks in Chennai and Coimbatore. But, it’s not available all the time. We train once a month. Luckily, I am associated with TVS Racing luckily, so for off-road tracks and bikes I go there. For other riders, it’s very difficult,” Kadai signed off.
