Bako on a roll in South Africa

ZIMBABWE’S junior motocross champion rider Emmanuel Bako is slowly monopolising the 65cc and 85cc (Juniors) classes in the South African circuit this year.

The talented 12-year-old Heritage School’s Grade Six pupil has been in sizzling form since the 2018 South African motocross season got underway in February and has won almost all his races Down South where competition is much tougher than here at home in Zimbabwe.

Since the beginning of the 2018 South African motocross season, Bako, now a member of one of that country’s top teams - Team Vision Racing Team has taken part in more than eight races including the first two rounds of the South African National Championship series as well as round one and two of the Northern Regions Championship series.

Bako is competing in the 65cc and 85cc (Juniors) classes and has been taking no prisoners in the former class where he has swept the board in almost all the races he has competed in so far this year.

This past weekend, Bako was back in South Africa where he had a date with two regional race meetings in Bloemfontein on Saturday and in Johannesburg on Sunday. And the Zimbabwean rider was just unstoppable in both events where he delivered three top podium places in the 65cc and 85cc (Juniors) classes.

His first port of call at the weekend was at BORC (Bloemfontein Offroad Club) track on Saturday where he competed in round three of the 2018 Free State Regional Championship series and wagged his tail vigorously in this event, taking the overall first place in the 85cc (Juniors) Class before securing a credible second-place finish in the 65cc Class.

After competing at BORC on Saturday, Bako quickly made the nearly 400km journey from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg where he had been entered to compete in the fourth round of the 2018 Inland Championship series at Smoking Pistons track the following day.

And Bako surprised all and sundry on Sunday when “he scored a double” by claiming the first step on the podium in both the 65cc and 85cc (Juniors) classes despite not having taken a rest from the previous day’s tough outing at BORC.

And Bako’s father and manager, Brighton, said his son showed some mental toughness in emerging victorious in both the 65cc and 85cc (Juniors) classes at Smoking Pistons on Sunday after having competed in another tough event in Bloemfontein 24 hours earlier.

“This is quite incredible and not a joke for a 12-year-old to compete in two tough competitions inside 48 hours and to come out victorious in both events... His rivals in South Africa were really amazed by this. His fan base in South Africa is really growing and I would also like to thank my brother Joseph Maguranyanga who came with his family to support us on Sunday,” Brighton said yesterday from Johannesburg.

He also said his son was just outstanding during Saturday’s round three of the Free State Regional Championship series at BORC in Bloemfontein.

“The beautiful track at BORC (Bloemfontein Offroad Club) has big jumps hard pack like those at our own Donnybrook in Harare and it was a great day to watch Emmanuel beating the big boys in the 85cc Class in which he finished first in both heats,” Brighton said.

Emmanuel also had a good battle for first place in the 65cc Class with South Africa’s Wian du Plooy, who was riding on his home track at BORC, and the Zimbabwean rider was forced to settle for second place in both heats to come second overall in this division. But for someone who was riding in Bloemfontein for the first time, Emmanuel did extremely well to win the 85cc Class and then finishing second overall in the 65cc Class.