Zim to name provisional FIM Africa Motocross team

ZIMBABWE will name their provisional team for the 2017 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships after the second national event of the year at Donnybrook in Harare on Sunday.

This year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships will be held in Gaborone, Botswana, from August 26-28.

The continental championships usually attract top junior and senior riders from eight African countries — Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

And Zimbabwe are once again expected to field some of their top junior and senior riders in Gaborone next month where they will compete for the top honours in all the classes at this threeday motorcycling competition.

Gary Grainger, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club who run the sport of motocross in Zimbabwe, yesterday confirmed that they will take part in this year’s African Championships in Botswana but are still to select their final team.

“We are definitely going to take part in this year’s African Championships to be hosted by Botswana from August 26-28 but the provisional team will be announced after this coming Sunday’s national event at Donnybrook.

“We will have representatives in all the classes from 50cc, 65cc, MX Lites, 125cc MXII as well as the MX1.

“Most of our top riders will definitely make the team for this event and I hope they are going to do well there. The second national championships will act as a warm-up to the big occasion.

“We hope to upstage South Africa this time around as they have always dominated this big event and with the way the guys are preparing, we hope to improve,” said Grainger.

Turning to this weekend’s event at Donnybrook, Grainger said everything was in place and preparations were going on well; and they expect a good turnout of riders for the second nationals of the year.

“We have been preparing for the big event and we hope to give it the best for riders gracing the occasion.

“The event will cater for all the classes and we look forward to a good turn-out. As a national event, (I think) we will witness some of the best riders in the country in action,” added Grainger.

The country’s top female rider Tanya Muzinda (12), who recently completed a successful two-week tour of England, is expected to be in action on Sunday at Donnybrook where she will be joined by a number of other talented junior bikers including the exciting Daiyaan “Dee” Manuel.

Manuel returns to the domestic scene oozing with confidence after he took the first step on the podium in the 65cc Class during the fourth round of the 2017 South African National Championship Series at Dirt Bronco in Johannesburg on June 3.

He emerged as the overall winner of the 65cc Class ahead of South Africa’s Tyler Tarantino and fellow talented Zimbabwean rider Emmanuel Bako who came second and third respectively.

The country’s other top junior and senior riders such as Kuda Mhene (Jnr), Big “BJ” Chitima, Ricky Whyte, Bradley Perry, Jordan Dewdney, Tristan Grainger, Ashley Thixton, Warren Thorne, Phil dos Santos, Tristan Versfeld, Liam Le Roux, Taddy Nyamupfukudza, Cameron Mellor, Leigh-Anne Young and Mark Webb are all expected to be in action on Sunday at Donnybrook.

Meanwhile, racing on Sunday at Donnybrook starts at 10am. Entry fee will be $5 per person while children under the age of 12 will get in for free.

There will be full bar and catering.