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Collin Matiza
A FANTASTIC day in Marrakech, Morocco, yesterday saw young Zimbabwean motorcyclist Victor Nyamupfukudza raising his country’s flag high by claiming an overall second-place finish in the 65cc Class at the 2024 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships.
The highly anticipated two-day event in the North African country saw over 200 riders from 10 countries, including powerhouses like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Uganda, compete for supremacy.
Dubbed the motocross equivalent of the Africa Cup of Nations in football, the MXOAN again saw intense competition across various categories at the weekend.
And 10-year-old Nyamupfukudza, who was Zimbabwe’s sole representative at these prestigious continental motorcycling Championships, was all smiles and pumped his fists with emotion yesterday as he managed to finish second overall behind one of South Africa’s top junior motocross racers Ohan Graven in the 65cc Class.
Nyamupfukudza amassed 41 points after three rounds of action on Saturday and yesterday, which was good enough to lift him to second place overall in the 65cc Class at the end of the two-day competition.
Graven swept the board in the 65cc Class with 55 points followed by Nyamupfukudza while Haruna Mubiru of Uganda settled for third place, a point behind Nyamupfukudza.
The 65cc Class had a strong field of 20 riders from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Madagascar, and the hosts Morocco.
While the majority of these countries fielded more than two riders in this class, Nyamupfukudza was the only biker from Zimbabwe.
And a supremely confident Nyamupfukudza opened his campaign at this event on a high note when he finished in fourth place in Heat One of the 65cc Class on Saturday afternoon.
The first three places in Heat One went to Viv Howell of South Africa, Uganda’s Haruna Mubiru, and Graven of South Africa.
With his father and manager, Simbarashe Nyamupfukudza, barking instructions from the gates, Victor upped his game yesterday as he pushed Graven all the way to the finish line as he settled for second place in Heat Two.
His brilliant performance in this Heat won the hearts of hundreds of neutrals who came to watch these continental Championships and they nicknamed him “Captain Marvel,” according to reports from Marrakech.
Victor’s solid performance in Heat Two was good enough to catapult him to second position in the overall standings of the 65cc Class to close out a fantastic and remarkable performance at this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships in Morocco’s fourth-largest city.
He was competing in his third straight African Championships after making his debut appearance at the continental motorcycling jamboree in 2022 in Uganda.
Victor was back in the African trenches in August last year when he was part of Team Zimbabwe that took part in the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships which were held in Cape Town, South Africa.
In the South African Mother City, Victor, then nine, was the toast of the Zimbabwean team after helping the 50cc Class team to win a bronze medal.
And it helped Zimbabwe to finish second overall behind perennial winners South Africa in the team standings.
Victor was back racing in the annual continental Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, at the weekend where he made his presence felt by finishing a credible second place overall in the 65cc Class.
He is now returning home with his confidence sky high ahead of another big international motocross event — the Energy Drink Zimbabwe Summer Series — which will be held over three days on December 11, 13, and 15 at Donnybrook Park Raceway here in Harare.
The Zimbabwe Summer Series attracts top international motocross riders from the United States, Europe, and South Africa. In fact, Scott Fraser, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club who run motocross in this country, said they are expecting 30 to 40 international riders from Europe and Southern Africa for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series.
Online Reporter