Ugandan motocross riders Zim-bound

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
PREPARATIONS for next weekend’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championship have gathered a healthy dose of momentum with the news that Uganda will send a strong team of 27 riders for this big continental motorcycling event.

The event will be held at Donnybrook Raceway in Harare

One of Uganda’s top riders Moses Lutwama told The Herald from the East African country yesterday that they have already selected a team of 27 riders who will do duty for their country during this year’s African motocross championship on August 29-30.

“We have picked a strong team of 27 riders who will compete from the 50cc Class up to the Veterans Class and they will be led by our country’s top rider Maxime Van Pee who rides in the main MX1 Class,” said Lutwama.

They are scheduled to arrive in Harare by Friday next week.

Reports from Uganda have also indicated that their country’s motocross team is ready to travel to Zimbabwe for the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championship despite their federation’s lack of funds.

Jack Wavamunno, the president of the Ugandan motorsport federation (FMU), recently told his country media that they were determined to send a team to Zimbabwe for the African championship despite facing a deficit of $15 000

“Yes, we are in a deficit of $15 000 (which is approximately 53 million Ugandan shillings) to take a full team to Zimbabwe but I assure you that we are doing all it takes to have a full team on board,” Wavamunno said.

“I’m confident we can win this event because we won it in 2012 at Busiika.”

The Ugandan team’s captain Van Pee also said they were capable of getting a podium finish at this year’s continental championship in Harare next weekend.

He added that all bikes will be traveling by road to Zimbabwe and would arrive well before the first practice session on Saturday next week.

Apart from Van Pee, the Ugandan team includes Ashraf Ndikulwange, Huud Ssemugooma, Talha Kiggundu (all MX1), Ali Omar, Yasin Kasirye, Fatuh Kiggundu, Muslim Zziwa, Ronald Opio, Shafique Ssekitto, Ashraf Mbabazi and Lutwama (all MX2 Class).

The other riders who are expected to make the trip to Harare are Alon Orland, Amina Zawedde, Ashi Junior, Mubarak Mayanja, Ryan Aruho, Milton Akaki, Stav Orland, Danny Kyambadde, Waleed Omar, Arnold Nyanzi, Malcom Omoding, Wazir Omar, Aviv Orland, Muzamiru Sajjabi, Ben Nsumba and Fortune Ssentamu.

Interestingly one member of the Ugandan team, Ssentamu, will be rekindling his rivalry in the 65cc Class with one of Zimbabwe’s top junior riders Kuda Mhene (Jnr) during next weekend’s African championship at Donnybrook.

Mhene (Jnr) and Ssentamu always fought some close battles whenever the former travelled to the East African country to compete in their national championship races in the last couple of years.

Next weekend’s African championship will also see top junior and senior riders from five other African countries – Angola, Botswana Kenya, South Africa and Zambia – competing in this event which promises to be bigger and much better that the last one which was held last year at Kitwe, Zambia.

South Africa are the defending champions after beating their Southern African rivals Zimbabwe to two second place finishes in the last two African championship events which were held at Syringa Park just outside Johannesburg in 2013 and last year at Kitwe.

Meanwhile, one of Zimbabwe’s top junior riders Daiyaan Manuel is expected to arrive back home on Monday from Germany where he spent the past two weeks training with two of that country’s top motocross clubs – RMC Reutlingen and MSC Waldkappel – in preparation for next weekend’s African championship.

Manuel’s father and trainer, Junior, said his son had a “wonderful and memorable” experience during his two-week attachment at both RMC Reutlingen and MSC Waldkappel.

“The training programme at both clubs was really good. The boys (Daiyaan and Donaldson) rode on different tracks and made new friends… It was really amazing.

“We’ve now been invited to go back to Germany next year, this time to race in their national championship but we have to do a lot of fund-raising as we will be travelling to and from Germany a lot,” Junior Manuel said.