Guwahati, May 4: A six-team Assam contingent for the Rs 1 crore prize money Airtel One India Challenge 2005 car rally was flagged off by sports adviser to the chief minister Robin Bordoloi here today.

Speaking on the occasion, Bordoloi lauded the company?s efforts to fuse communication and sports.Though only three teams had qualified from Assam initially, the number was doubled on the basis of the enthusiasm shown by the people for the mobile service provider?s maiden initiative, said the company?s chief of operations, Sudhir Agarwal.

Each of the amateur teams comprises a driver, a co-driver and a navigator. The six captains from the Assam circle are Sanjay Bhajanka, Lakhi Gogoi, Ratna Giri Das, Bikram Rajkhowa, Arup Pathak and Anupam Barman.

The contingent will join the rest of the east zone teams in Calcutta on May 8 for the competitive rally to Nagpur. Altogether 200 contestants, flagged off from 23 telecom circle headquarters across the country, will join the competitive rallies from Calcutta, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. The rally to the metropolitan venues will not be competitive.

The first three teams from every zone to reach Nagpur on May 11 will be rewarded with Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively. The second leg of the 7,000-km rally will be flagged off from Nagpur on May 12 and the participants will reach Delhi on May 14. The first three will pocket Rs 4 lakh, Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively.

A panel of experts from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India and Ernst and Young will decide the overall champions, taking into consideration the aggregate of points combined from both legs. The first three position holders will be awarded Rs 30 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 8 lakh respectively. There will be cash prizes for all drivers who complete the rally.