HYDERABAD: Shuttlers Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu are among the celebrities invited to attend the upcoming international F1H2O Boat Racing Championship to be conducted in the city from November 16.
During a press meet to discuss the arrangements made for the event, which was attended by officials of various departments at Punnami Ghat on Tuesday, Tourism Development Corporation CEO Himanshu Shukla said the two icons have agreed to attend the competition ‘if their schedules permit’.
Several other celebrities have been invited for the event but they have not yet confirmed their attendance, he added.
When asked about the budget for the event, he said that the competition is being sponsored entirely by private parties. “The government has provided the venue for the event. Other arrangements are being sponsored entirely by private parties. Until now, `2-3 crores have been raised and since the event has been widely publicised, several sponsors have approached us,” he said.
As many as 40,000 additional seats are planned to be installed at the venue for the event as the estimate for the total attendance is over one lakh. “We are expecting one lakh people to attend the event. An additional 40,000 seats might be required,” he said.
He also said that the department planned to start a boat racing school to promote tourism in State. “We are planning to start a boat racing school but we have to conduct a feasibility study before proceeding with the plan. Jonas Andersson, Amaravati team’s lead driver, has also said that such a school should be established,” he said.