Emmanuel makes U-turn for FIM champs

Collin Matiza Sports Editor

AFTER having initially ruled himself out from representing Zimbabwe at this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships, the country’s champion rider Emmanuel Bako has made a U-turn and is now available to compete in the big continental event.

This year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships will be hosted by South Africa at the famous Zone 7 track in Cape Town from August 11-13 where scores of the continent’s top junior and senior male and female dirt bike riders will converge for this exciting three-day motorcycling jamboree. The event is held annually and it usually attracts top riders from a number of African countries who include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Bogwheelers Club, who run motocross in this country on behalf of Motorsport Zimbabwe, have already picked a strong Team Zimbabwe of more than 30 riders for this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships.

The list initially did not include 17-year-old Bako, who was recuperating from a hand injury he sustained after he crashed during Round Two and Three of the 2023 South African National Motocross Championships series at Zone 7 in Cape Town a couple of months ago.

But Bako, a Form Four pupil at St John’s High School in Harare, recently indicated that he has fully recovered from the hand injury and was now available to represent Zimbabwe at next month’s African Championships in Cape Town.

Bako’s availability for this big continental motorcycling event was also confirmed by his father and manager, Brighton “Bucks” Bako.

“Emmanuel is definitely going to compete in the 2023 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships in Cape Town. He has fully recovered from the hand injury and is good to go. He is really looking forward to racing in this big event,” Brighton Bako said.

Emmanuel, who will be competing with the seniors in the 125cc Class in Cape Town, added: “I’m honoured and proud to be able to represent my country once again at the African Motocross Championships.

“It’s never easy and definitely won’t be this time around racing against the top riders from the African countries, but with the help of everyone we will definitely be able to overcome . . . Cape Town we are coming for you!” said Emmanuel.

While Emmanuel Bako is busy preparing for this coming month’s African Motocross Championships, one of the country’s top junior riders, Emile Croisette, will be conspicuous by his absence at this continental event. Sixteen-year-old Croisette is currently in the United States where he has been accepted to race in the prestigious AMA Monster Energy finals at Loretta Lynn Ranch at Hurricane Mills in Tennessee from July 31 (today) to August 6.

The championships are held annually and they bring together some of the finest amateur motocross riders from across the globe. Speaking to The Herald from Tennessee at the weekend, Croisette’s father and manager, Joe, confirmed that his son has officially qualified for the finals of this year’s AMA Monster Energy Championships, thereby becoming the first Zimbabwean motocross rider to have achieved this feat.

“He (Emile) has qualified to race in two classes (it’s the maximum) — the Mini Senior and SuperMini 1. He’s definitely the first Zimbabwean rider doing it. He will use the number plate 60 . . . Man, this is special for Emile and people all over are calling me. “He (Emile) is now in his zone with his American coach Shanon Niday . . . not communicating much with him now. They probably have a plan to show to the world… who knows.

“Now for me the target is to see him enjoying his riding at Loretta and to get him back home in a good shape to celebrate his amazing season in the USA,” Joe Croisette said. Emile’s American trainer Shannon Niday’s colleague, Sheila Niday, said they were proud of Emille’s recent qualification for the tough AMA Monster Energy finals this year.

“We are so proud of this kid Emile Croisette and his family who live in Zimbabwe but trains here in the United States and he’s trained with us almost every Summer for the past seven years when his parents are in DFW working.