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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
MOTOCROSS rider, Emmanuel Bako, will this weekend race on a new bike in South Africa, courtesy of his new sponsors, Better Brands Jewellery.
The company will also meet the 14-year-old’s travel expenses, among other things.
Better Brands Jewellery representative, Scott Sakupwanya, said his company decided to back the talented Zimbabwean racer, as a way of giving back to the community.
“Firstly, Emmanuel Bako’s talent is beyond any reasonable doubt. He is a master of the motocross track and he deserves everyone’s support,” said Sakupwanya.
“He is a top-notch rider who has hoisted our Zimbabwean flag very high in regional and international race meetings.
‘‘As a Zimbabwean company, we have seen it fit to partner him and support him in all his racing endeavours.
“We have already bought him a brand new bike which he is set to use in a crucial race in South Africa this weekend.
“We are also the ones who are catering for his travel expenses.
We have already procured flight tickets for him for the South African race at the weekend.
“The brand Emmanuels Bako and ours (Better Brands) will go hand in hand as we will soon be identified as one.
‘‘Look, we have so many racers in Zimbabwe and one of them is Bako, who is very talented.
‘‘We would want to support racing, and Zimbabwean racers going forward, but we have just decided to start with Bako.
“Racing is one of the most difficult sports to partake in and for Bako, to have cut his teeth in this difficult sport, means with enough support, the country will get a lot of medals in regional and international competitions.
“Sometimes, it is the support that we lack, as Zimbabweans, but we are very talented in several sporting disciplines.
‘‘We have been seeing a lot of talented athletes emerge from this country but, look, most of them have lacked sponsorship for them to fully blossom.
“We are saying at the moment; we have Bako (Emmanuel) covered, in terms of the support which he needs for him to perform to his best levels in the sport.”
Apart from Betterbrands Jewellery, Bako is also sponsored locally by Fuchs Silkolene Zimbabwe and Prorilific Boreholes.
Bako has spent most of his time training alone during the lockdown to keep shape.
But, last weekend, he returned to race in the South African motocross circuit where he emerged victorious in the 85cc Pro-Mini Class during the final round of the 2020 Inland Championship at the Dirt Bronco track in Krugersdorp.
The young rider spent the whole of this week training in Johannesburg.
Today, he will head to Bloemfontein where he is expected to take part in a pre-national championship race, as part of his preparations, for the 2021 season.
Next year looks likely to be a very busy season for Bako as he is also expected to tour Europe.
Online Reporter