A Frenchman who had been set to become the first blind person to compete in the famous Dakar Rally on Tuesday called on French President Jacques Chirac to intervene after world motor sports governing body FIA withdrew his licence days before the race begins.
Michel Point had been due to co-pilot fellow Frenchman Nicholas Richard and his registration had been accepted by race organisers, but FIA has vetoed the decision and withdrawn its consent on security grounds.
”I’m furious,” Point said. ”For me it’s a plot to notify organisers that my licence is not valid when the federation have known my situation for months.
”Every year people with physical disabilities compete in the Dakar. They should allow me to compete and then we can properly judge,” said Point. ”If I’m not fit, I’ll give up.”
Point and 34-year-old Richard had prepared the race in detail as part of the A Perte de Vue (As Far as the Eye Can See) project for the blind, and their Toyota had been equipped with navigation instruments in braille and a computer allowing for an electronic reading of the road book.
And the 53-year-old, who works as a mediator in an association for the blind, called on Chirac to intervene.
”The president has made disabilities one of his three priorities. Today that has to become action rather than just words,” he added.
The race begins on New Year’s Day in Auvergne, central France, and finishes in Dakar on January 18. — Sapa-AFP