38th Edition of the SJOBA Rally 2025 kicks-off

The highly anticipated motorsports event, the 38th edition of the SJOBA Rally 2025, being organised by the St. John’s Old Boys Association (SJOBA) – the alumni association of St. John’s High School, Chandigarh, officially kicked-off  with the rally being flagged-off by Chandigarh’s Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla at the Sector 34 Exhibition Ground, Chandigarh. This three-day adrenaline-fueled rally will conclude on March 2, 2025, with a prize distribution ceremony at the CGA Golf Range, Chandigarh.

Sharing further insights, Harpal Singh Malvai, President of SJOBA said, “To make the start exciting we introduced specially designed short tracks and gave members of the public an opportunity to get a close view of the powerful machines in full action on these tracks. This drew large crowds.”

Meanwhile, the event kicked off with the scrutiny of vehicles, with 30 four-wheelers and 60 two-wheelers, along with their drivers and riders. The participants will be competing in four challenging sections each day. The total prize money for the 2025 edition of the rally is approximately Rs. 6 lakhs, along with trophies and additional awards for participants and winners.

Danish Singh Mangat, Secretary of SJOBA and Competitors Relations Officer (CRO), added that there are women also taking part and that 3 riders are participating in the women category with their two-wheelers.  “A diverse group of professionals and emerging rally enthusiasts from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Rajasthan and other various parts of India have come to participate in the rally,” said Mangat.

SPS Ghai, Clerk of Course (COC) of SJOBA, while talking about the  rally’s route said: “We have outlined a challenging route that will be covered over the course of three days by rally drivers and riders. The participants will mainly pass through  Punjab’s Ropar, Garhshankar, Mansowal, and Hoshiarpur districts The rally will also hit a part of Himachal Pradesh. This year’s route offers variation and there is a good degree of difficulty that participants will have to overcome. The route  features  un-metalled surfaces, axle-breaking riverbeds – both dry and wet, fast tarmacs with winding hairpins and an exhilarating hilly terrain in both Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. ”

Nagendra Singh, Deputy Clerk of Course (DCOC) of SJOBA, added, “In the ‘Challenge Rally’ (Extreme), Jeeps, Cars, and Bikes are participating. Participants in this category are required to navigate through some of the most challenging terrains, covering an average distance of 200 km per day.”

It is noteworthy that the rally is being held under an official affiliation of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).  Comprehensive safety measures have been put in place for the participants with ambulances stationed at key points along the rally route. Additionally, First Intervention Vehicles (FIVs) manned by SJOBA marshals are positioned at each competitive stage to ensure a rapid response in need of emergencies.

The SJOBA Rally 2025 is supported by Hero MotoCorp, Servo Indian Oil, Punjab Tourism, Vamcy Merla, Fortis, Coca Cola, Kandhari Beverages, Surbhi Packers, Isuzu, Paul Merchants, and the Doaba Group of Colleges.