“This will be the first time I am going to represent India, which makes this opportunity very special,” said Takale. He will be on the wheels of the French car Peugeot and will compete in the Rally4 class in the competition.

The multi-sport motorspot event includes 18 disciplines and is being conducted after a two-year gap due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Takale, the former Asia-Pacific Rally champion, was recommended by the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the national governing body of the sport, to the Paris-headquartered world governing body, Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

After being cleared by FMSCI, Takale said he will have Australia-based Mike Young as his navigator. Young is an established rally driver and the two — Takale as the driver and Mike Young as the navigator — finished seventh in Rally Estonia in Tallinn in 2019.

Young was Takale’s teammate in the APRC championship driving for the Japanese rally team Cusco Motorsport.