Zim Moto-X riders miss African Champs

Collin Matiza

ZIMBABWEAN riders are once again going to miss out on “an expensive away trip” to this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships, which will be held in Morocco later this year.

The 2024 African Motocross Championships are scheduled to run from October 25 to 27 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech with most of the countries, that competed in last year’s event in Cape Town, South Africa, including Zimbabwe, expected to attend the three-day motocross jamboree.

But Jamie Kerwin of the Bogwheelers Club, yesterday said Team Zimbabwe would not be going to Morocco because of the exorbitant costs that are being involved in sending a team to the north African country towards the end of October.

Bogwheelers Club runs motocross in this country.

“No, we are not sending a team to Morocco in October.

“It’s too expensive (to send a team to Morocco) and with no sponsorship, it’s almost impossible to have a team there.

“It costs almost US$60 000 to send a competitive team there,” Kerwin said.

Last year they sent a full complement of athletes when the continental championships were hosted by South Africa in Cape Town after having missed out on the 2022 edition in Uganda, also due to “expensive costs” involved in sending a team to the East African country.

Simbarashe Nyamupfukudza, the father of nine-year-old rider Victor Nyamupfukudza, also confirmed yesterday that he has withdrawn his son from this year’s African Championships.

“I wanted to go to Morocco for the African Championships but it’s too expensive to go there.

“It was going to cost me and Victor around US$10 000 for the whole trip to Morocco and with all these connecting flights to get there, we can’t afford it.

“So, we have decided to pull out of the African Championships and stay at home preparing for the Zimbabwe Summer Series that will be held at Donnybrook in December, “Simbarashe Nyamupfukudza said.

Victor Nyamupfukudza has been to the last two African Championships in Uganda in 2022 and Cape Town in South Africa in 2023.

In Cape Town, Victor Nyamupfukudza managed to raise the country’s flag high when he helped the Zimbabwe 50cc team to come out with a bronze medal.

And this saw Team Zimbabwe finishing second overall behind perennial winners South Africa.

South Africa, are, also likely to miss out on the African Championships too after they sent a team to the 2024 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship & Cup.

This esteemed motocross event took place in July 2024, at the renowned Circuit Kamperweg Heerde in the Netherlands.