13-year-old Shreyas Copparam Hareesh Dies After a Crash at Madras Track

CHENNAI: Tragedy struck at the Madras International Circuit on Saturday as Copparam Shreyas Hareesh, a promising 13-year-old from Bengaluru, lost his life due to injuries sustained in a crash during the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship.

Having recently won the MiniGP India title, Shreyas had been hailed as a rising star in the domestic circuit. His impressive achievements at the National level included a remarkable streak of four consecutive victories in the Rookie category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship this season.

The unfortunate incident took place shortly after the commencement of the Rookie race, for which Shreyas had qualified on pole. A crash led to a devastating fall at Turn 1, resulting in a severe head injury. The race was immediately red-flagged, and Shreyas was swiftly transported to a nearby hospital via a trauma care ambulance stationed at the track. However, he was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It is tragic to have lost a rider so young and talented. Shreyas, who was making waves with his prodigious racing talent, was provided medical assistance on the spot immediately after the incident and taken to the hospital. Under the circumstances, we have decided to cancel the rest of this weekend’s programme. The MMSC offers heart-felt condolences and our thoughts are with his family.”

Shreyas' father, Hareesh, a businessman based in Bengaluru, had been raising funds through crowdfunding to support his son's aspiration of competing at the international level. He had plans to travel to Spain for training.