Banteilang Jyrwa, a 24-year-old national supercross champion from Meghalaya, has made headlines by excelling in one of the toughest sports in the world. After winning the Indian National Supercross Championship title in 2022, Jyrwa is now setting his sights on competing in international Supercross Championship tournaments overseas. Despite being sidelined due to an injury, Jyrwa has made a comeback and secured the top position in the “Indian expert category” at the first National Supercross Championship event held in Coimbatore earlier this year.
Jyrwa aims to participate in all the national Supercross championship events held across India, with the ultimate goal of competing in the Expert class abroad and bringing home international titles, such as the FIM Supercross World Championship, to make his country proud.
Jyrwa’s journey has not been easy, starting with a borrowed bike and no technical expertise. However, he persevered and trained tirelessly, even after facing several injuries. Jyrwa is now an official rider for a motorcycle brand Factory Racing in the Indian Expert class. He believes that people from the Northeastern part of India have the skills and “nature-made tracks” to excel in motocross, a physically demanding and high-octane sport.
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. It is a physically demanding sport that is usually held in all-weather conditions. The major difference between supercross and motocross is that the former is held on specially built dirt tracks made of steep jumps and obstacles, while the latter comprises longer dirt courses in a natural environment.
Jyrwa’s journey began during his college days in 2017 when he joined his cousins for a ride in the woods. After experiencing the thrill of riding a motorbike, Jyrwa started saving money to buy his dream bike. It took him a little over six months to save up the money borrowed from friends and family to buy his motorbike.
Jyrwa began his racing career at a motocross championship held in Assam’s Guwahati. Despite having no technical expertise, Jyrwa managed to clinch the third spot in the novice class. After that, Jyrwa never looked back. He got elevated to the expert class with rigorous training and went on to participate in several events in the country.
Jyrwa’s achievement in winning the Indian National Supercross Championship in 2022 was extra special as it came to the Northeast after a gap of 29 years. Before Jyrwa, Diganata Hazarika from Assam won the coveted title in 1993. Jyrwa’s success led to his being called to a leading team’s camp in Bengaluru in 2022, where he received better training and a better machine. Jyrwa then went on to win eight successive Supercross national championships in 2022.
Jyrwa credits his success to his parents’ unwavering support, even though motocross is considered one of the riskiest and most expensive sports in the world. Jyrwa’s parents believe that if a child has a talent, they should never be forced to hide it.
Parents should support their children so that they can improve further. If they don’t, the children will still pursue their passion, which can be even more dangerous if they are not provided with the proper training and equipment.
Jyrwa feels that he has a talent for Motorsport and that it is more important for him to share his talent with the next generation. If someone becomes better than him, it will be a big achievement for him rather than just running for the podium.