Manuel continues to impress

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
DAIYAAN Manuel is on fire. The nine-year-old Zimbabwean motocross rider was in scintillating form again at the weekend when he finished first in the 50cc Pro Class during the first-ever Monster Supercross Africa at Loftus Versveld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa.

Coming up against some of the top junior motocross riders in the world, Manuel showed that he was one for the future by outclassing his opponents to emerge as the overall winner in the 50cc Pro Class to cap a memorable month for himself.

Only a couple of weeks ago, Manuel, a Grade Four pupil at St. John’s Preparatory School in Harare, wrote his own piece of history when he became the first Zimbabwean motocross rider to win a national championship title in South Africa when he clinched the 2014 50cc Pro crown in that country.

And on Saturday night in Pretoria, Manuel joined a host of other top international motocross riders at the inaugural Monster Energy Supercross Africa event in which he competed in the 50cc Pro Class with fellow Zimbabweans riders Jordan Dewdney, Emmanuel Bako and Lee Chigumba.

And Manuel stole the limelight from his teammates in Team Zimbabwe by coming out first in this class in front of a bumper crowd of more than 30 000 motocross fans from South Africa and all over the world who thronged Loftus Versveld Stadium to watch this big international night racing event.

Manuel could not hide his excitement after doing himself and the nation proud at the grand stage in Pretoria on Saturday night.

“Monster Energy Supercross Africa was awesome!” Manuel immediately wrote on his Facebook wall after Satuday night’s event. “I finished 1st in the 50cc Class! Overall it was a great experience and it was even better that we got to meet some of the best riders (in the world).

“I would just like to thank my family, friends and sponsors for always supporting me and a huge welldone to the other competitors,” Manuel said.

The young motocross rider has just been a ball fire this year which saw him dominating the scene in Zimbabwe and South Africa where he was almost untouchable in the 50cc Pro Class.