Silver lining for Kenya
By Charles.Thuku, April 13, 2023Kenyan riders savoured podium positions as they finished second overall behind hosts Uganda in the first leg of the FIM Central Africa Motocross Challenge (CAC) at the Uganda Motorsports Arena in Busiika last weekend
The hosts took full advantage of their massive numbers and local knowledge to win the first leg overall trophy; thus scoring 1,627points against Kenya’s 495.
But Team Kenya, despite fielding a leaner team of riders, displayed the much-needed resilience to rack up some key podium slots and points.
Berry Notea of Kenya scored 49 points to finish second in MX50 class. Riding a KTM50, Notea displayed good cornering skills and breathtaking jumps.
With good team work by the Kenyan dimunitives, Uhrie Yongo of Kenya scored 33points to settle for fourth in MX50 while compatriots Jamatia Kangoro and Gioko Armani Amani came eighth and 13th respectively.
Uganda’s Jude Kyle Musede won the MX50 Class.
In MX85 (Lites) Uganda’s Malcom Gift Tabula ran away with all the three heats at stake to emerge the winner in class.
Wahome Mutahi registered a three-heat total of 47 to finish second in MX85 Lites ahead of compatriots Lewis Ogonyi and Atete Benzige in third and fifth respectively.
Atete is one of the fastest rising girl riders in Kenya at the present and fourth overall at regional was a satisfactory result , by and large.
Ugandans swept the board in MX65 podium showdown with Miguel Katende emerging the winner on 60 whilst Ramadhan Mubiru and Jonathan Katende tied for second on 45. The best placed Kenyan in MX65 was Kigen Mutuma in fifth.
Mungai Magithuku delivered another podium finish for Team Kenya in MX1 finishing third in a race Uganda’s Fatuh Kiggundu bossed with a flawless points score of 60.
Uganda’s Wazir Omar won MX2 class on.57ahead of the Kenyan trio of Alex Kandie, Masalule Kituyi and Rohan Gandhi.
Kenyan riders hope to avenge the defeat in the second and final leg of the regional series in Nairobi in December.
Both Kenya and Uganda used the CAC event in Kampala to gauge their strength ahead of the 2023 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations (MXOAN) which will be held from 11-13 August at:Zone 7, Cape Town in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Neville Townsend on behalf of the MSA MX Commission, in a welcome note remarked: “We look forward to all our national, continental, and international participants joining us for what will be a spectacular event hosted in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.