MotoGP Issues Apology After Outrage Over Distorted Map Of India

New Delhi: MotoGP issued an apology for showing a distorted map of India during the live-streaming of the first practice session (FP1) for the inaugural edition of MotoGP Bharat race, the IndianOil Grand Prix, which began on Friday at Buddh International Circuit in Noida.

This followed a backlash from fans over exclusion of integral parts of the country, particularly Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, in the map.

In an official statement, MotoGP expressed its regret, saying, “We’d like to apologise to our fans in India for the map shown earlier as part of the MotoGP broadcast. It is never our intent to make any statement other than that of support and appreciation for our host country.”

“We’re excited to be able to enjoy the IndianOil Grand Prix of India with you and we’re loving our first taste of Buddh International Circuit.”

A total of 22 riders, representing 11 different teams, will participate in a variety of sessions during the 3-day event.

This came two days after popular Canadian singer Shubhneet Singh’s shows in India were canceled for sharing a distorted map of India, which omitted the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeastern states, on his Instagram handle in March when the Punjab Police were searching for now-arrested Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh. The singer later deleted the map and replaced it with a message that read “Pray for Punjab” without any picture.