Motocross comes of age

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
THE recent nomination of two young riders Emmanuel Bako and Tanya Muzinda for the 2015 Junior Sportsman and Junior Sportswoman of the Year awards respectively has seen motocross finally claiming its place among the most popular sporting disciplines in this country.

In the past, motocross was seen as an “elite sport” which was a preserve for whites in this country and not many people used to follow it or go to the home of local motorsport — Donnybrook Raceway in Harare — to watch it.

But that perception has since changed as many people among the country’s motorsport enthusiasts and local sports followers have of late been following motocross, thanks to the arrival of a number of young, talented riders who are now a permanent fixture on the track at Donnybrook.

The past few years have seen quite a big number of young riders being introduced to motocross and they include the likes of Emmanuel and Munyaradzi Bako, Muzinda, Kuda Mhene (Jnr), Daiyaan Manuel, Ryan Masimo, Lee and Mudiwa Chigumba, Big “BJ” Chitima (Jnr) and the Musariri brothers Justin, Majaji and Nyasha, who are just a joy to watch when they are mounting their bikes.

The cast also includes Reagan Evans, Davin Cocker, Reagan Bond, Jordan Dewdney, Tristan Grainger, Mark Webb, Taine, Tyler and Jordan Chapman, Tristan Versfeld, Ricky Whyte, Regan Wasmuth, Joshua Goby, Nicholas Fremantle, Liam Robinson, Bradley Perry, Alexander John, John Evans, Ryan Webb, Travis da Silva, Ryan Wasmuth, Declan Barrett and Scott Hewer.

All these young riders have lit up the track at Donnybrook with a series of eye-catching performances in the last couple of years.

But it is the exploits on the track of the likes of Emmanuel Bako, Muzinda, Mhene (Jnr), Chitima (Jnr), Masimo, and Lee Chigumba that has made a number of local sports followers to turn their attention to motocross which they are now following with keen interest.

At the end of August this year, Zimbabwe hosted the 2015 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships and for the first time in the history of this sport in this country, there was a huge turn out of local motosport enthusiasts who thronged Donnybrook to watch this exciting two-day event.

An estimated 4 000 spectators made their way through the gates of Donnybrook to watch the final day of the 2015 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships on August 30, a clear sign that motocross is now one of the most popular motosport events in this country.

This year also saw scores of people following the progress of nine-year-old Emmanuel Bako during the seven-round 2015 Monster Energy South African National Motocross Championship series which ran from February to October.

Emmanuel Bako took part in the 50cc Pro Class during this year’s South African National Championship series where he was just a joy to watch as he battled it out for the first step on the podium with a number of talented young South African riders.

In fact, according to Motocross South Africa, the 50cc Pro Class came down to the wire and was one of the most competitive classes this season.

South Africa’s James Thompson won both races during the final round of the series at Smoking Pistons in Johannesburg on October 31 and with that, finished tied on points with Zimbabwe’s Emmanuel Bako.

Because Thompson had more heat wins, he would claim the 50cc Pro title ahead of Emmanuel Bako who was looking at retaining this crown for Zimbabwe after it was won by his teammate Daiyaan Manuel last year.

But Emmanuel Bako’s brilliant performance in the 2015 South African National Championship series throughout the year saw him being nominated for this year’s Junior Sportsman of the Year award with the winner set to be announced at a banquet in Harare next month.

He emulated fellow young motocross rider Muzinda who, in August this year, was first nominated for the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards’ Sportswoman of the Year award which she went on to win at a colourful ZIWA awards-giving function in Birmingham, England, on October 3.

Muzinda (10) has been the only female competitor in Zimbabwean motocross for a number of years in which she has been the best young rider in the country competing with boys.