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FMU represented at FIA AGA in Baku

FMU – DVP Ray Kibira goes ahead to share a recap of what has transpired

Africa Sport Clubs Meeting
– we presented our season report and challenges

ASN FORUM
– We interacted with all the member federations and associations sharing experiences and learning from the success stories of other federations

Membership Benefits:
– Access to FIA university
– Road Safety and how we can work with Governments
– Partnering with UN for Travel solutions where we (Uganda) explained the difficulty in access to visas as Africans and asked UN to show commitment to ease of movement for both people and goods (case in point is transportation of bikes to SA where customs has not refunded our bond)

ONLINE ABUSE AWARENESS
– We have to sign a charter to protect the sport, officials, competitors & volunteers from online abuse

Posted by Patrick

1-2-3 for East Africa, as Gomez painfully drops out.

ARC standing after Zambia:
1. Karan Patel 120
2. Jas Mangat 111
3. Yasin Nasser 93
WHAT had turned out to be a Karan Patel and Leroy Gomez affair, with a one second separation of the two after leg1, finally had the scores settled when the Zambian hit a hidden tree stump on stage13.

Gomez embarked on his fierce battle with Patel in Chartonel stage, where picked 20 seconds off him,but was same way rewarded in Bull stage, Patel clinching to the lead in Waterfalls stage with 12seconds.

This sent both teams to high charging, before repeat of Bull stage, that saw Gomez co-driven by his wife Urshlla, painfully drop out.

“Our hearts are ok. We didn’t win it for mother Zambia this time…. But we sure did have fun trying,” read statement from team’s social media page.

After Leroy’s fate, Patel decided to let ease in last three stages,having Uganda’s Jas Mangat pull off some seconds from him, but couldn’t turn the tables around, ending the rally second overall, one minute 33 seconds apart.

Patel resumes the lead of the ARC with 120points, Mangat now second with 111, and Nasser third with 93points.

Hamza Anwar who had bad outing on day one,with a number of mechanical gremlins, and returned on day two under super rally, got his podium finish chances brightened, when Moil’s Yasin Nasser got forced out of event by gearbox problem with two stage to go.

“Good afternoon, sadly we are out of the rally due to extensive gear box damage. Inshallah we meet in Iringa,” wrote Nasser.

Another day two returnee, Tanzania’s Prince Charles Nyerere has a reason to celebrate after finishing forth overall in ARC classification, keeping him atop of ARC Junior championship with 78 points, Anwar second with 60 points.

Crews head to Tanzania next month for last ARC round that will help settle their odds.

Author: Frank Kaheesi-FMU Media

Posted by Patrick

Patel rolls at Shakedown, but returns on time to qualify.

Kenya’s Karan Patel, co-driven by Tauseef Khan in a Ford Feista R5 will sweep the Zambian International rally roads as car number one.
At Free practice of 1.5km shakedown stage at Lusaka Motor Club, the crew was baptised with an early shocker, when their car rolled after kissing a concrete pillar when picking aleft round about turn.
Luckily, the KCB Bank-sponsored crew managed to fix their car in time, returned for the qualifiers run thus picked on to start as car number one.
Uganda’s ARC2 contender ,crew of Innocent Bwamiki and Hamza Lwanga in an Evo9, leave the ramp as car number two, chased by Jas Mangat in Hyundai I20 in third place, as homeboy Leroy Gonez runs fourth,and current ARC leader Yasin Nasser will chase in fifth place respectively.

Tanzania’s Prince Charles Nyerere in an will run as car number six, as Kenya’s ‘Problem child’ with who they are running for FIA Junior African Rally championship title chases seventh.
Drivers will have to run three competitive stages, before first service at Barn Motel.

More to come……

Posted by Patrick

Moil Crew live up to their billing in Tanzania.

TNRC standings after Tanga:
1.Yasin Nasser 60
2.Manveer Birdi 42
3.Randeep Singh 24
4=Gurpal Sandhu 24

MOIL-SPONSORED rally crew of Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba in a Ford Fiesta MK2 R5 popularly known as Nemo, live up to their billing inTanga, as they win second Tanzania National Rally championship round.
Fresh from finishing second at fourth African Championship round in Burundi last weekend, the crew only had a day to rest after a delayed flight connection to Kampala, before connecting to Tanga for yet another rally action weekend.
With two special stages earmarked as competitive and were to be driven thrice, the crew played well to their strategy to pick second win in Tanzania with nine crew starters.
The 2023 African Rally Championship leaders and Uganda National Rally champions, firing out from all pistons of their Fiesta, only lost one stage of six posting fastest time of one hour 26 minutes10 seconds.
They were five minutes, 36 seconds faster than second placed Crew of Randeep Singh and Zubeyr Piredina in Mitsubishi Evo9, eight minutes,26 seconds adrift third place crew of Manveer Birdi,co-driven by Manmeet Birdi in another Evo9.
With only three crews seeing the finishing line,and five non finishers, Nasser now leads the Tanzanian Championship by 60 points,followed by Manveer with 42, as Randeep who dropped out in first round ties in third place with Gurpal Sandhu who finished the Sao Hill Forest Rally in Iringa, that was run in May this year.
“Its a worthy well spent weekend in Tanzania with long distance travels from Burundi to Tanga,” intimated by one of happily impressed team mechanic who preferred anonymity.
Yasin Nasser after sealing 2023 Uganda National Rally championship title with winning Bam SMC challenge rally held a fortnight ago in Masaka, is now left with two titles to battle for, ARC and Tanzanian Championships,all left with three rounds to go.
Next ARC stop will be in Rwanda, Rwanda Mountain Gorilla rally to be held in third week of September, as the later third round will be held in October,2023.
END.
Author: Frank Kaheesi- Head FMU Media Commission

Posted by Patrick

Training,hard work pay off- Stav

 

Nations overall:
1. South Africa 728
2.Zimbabwe 384
3.Zambia 233
4.Namibia 206
5.Uganda 191
6.Kenya 155
7.Botswana 82
8.Madagascar 27
9.Morocco 8
10.Lesotho 0

MY training,hard work and perseverance have paid me off.
These were Stav Orland words winning the last and final heat of his MX2 Class.

Training and hard work are key factors for any rider to win a heat or round in a Motocross event.
These were the reasons Stav Orland winner of the MX2 Class title gave, after predominantly sweeping clean all the three heats of the MX2 category.
Stav, who has had chance to race in South Africa against the country’s best prior to African championship,also pointed out exposure as another factor for a rider to excel at different grounds.
“Am previledged to have trained and raced agaist the best in South Africa,it gave me an adage over other riders, honestly my training and hard work have paid off, ” said Stav after winning the third heat of his MX2 class.
He added that, he waited the moment to beat the South Africans at their own back yard.
” I encourage other riders to get more exposure, test different race tracks, it’s the only way they can ably compete with other super nations,” Stav explained.
Great perfomances for Uganda were also witnessed in the 65CC,125, and Mx lite, with a heat1 podium for Jude Kyle Musedde in 50CC on Saturday,as hosts South Africa dominated the 1-2-3 positions in all junior classes plus seniors.
“I would like to thank Team Uganda. You have overcome so much, the uncertainty of the bikes stack at the airport for days, you did not have the benefit of testing the sandy track before hand, you only had one practice session on day one, stomached the scary incident of one of the team members and podium hopeful Fortune Ssentamu,” happily expressed the team leader, Reynolds Kibira after the race.
He added that; “Amidst adversity, believing against hope and giving their hearts out against Africa’s best, team Uganda you the best.”
With good outstanding results in 50CC,65, 125, and MX2, Uganda managed to finish second overall in 65,125 and MX2 classes,despite fifth overall finish Nations.
Uganda who for the last three years been third, went two positions low, behind South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia respectively due to demolisation, that brought about by delayed bike clearance from South African customs.
Their bikes were delivered at last hour on Saturday, thus didn’t have enough time on their bikes before racing.
Next hosts for 2024 are Morocco, who only managed to field a team of three riders at this year’s edition.
END.
Author: Frank Kaheesi- Head FMU Media Commision

Posted by Patrick

Ugandan Junior riders optimistic for greater results ahead of race.

BY FRANK SSERUGO, CAPE TOWN
UGANDA’S riders sound optismistic and targetful ahead of the hard throttle opening and firing at the 2023 FIM-AFRICA Motocross of African Nations.

The Continent’s top showpiece reeves off Saturday with free practice for riders, ahead real action aroundb12:00noon local time.

Though, Uganda has been in a drought of 13 years with no overall continental tittle their disposal since 2012, her Junior riders are ready to turn tables around.

A big number of them apart from Fortune Ssentamu, we’re not on team of 2012 that wrote history, when Uganda won the African top Motocross accolade after playing as host at Uganda Motorport Arena,Busiika.

Riders spoken to, included juniors in 50CC, 65, 85 Elite, Mx125 and MX2,that all sounded positive,and hopeful.

Milton Akaki Obote:
It’s all fine, everything seems good,i believe we have prepared well, track is different, much higher level track,more rough and will have to ride seriously.

 

 

Stav Orland:
He one rider on team Uganda, who has rode on Zone7 race track during the South African National local championship events prior to Mxoan event.
Set to ride one of the latest KTM versions, 2024 model, Stav is aware big upheaval awaiting them in Mx2 class that has lethal riders.
But feels good, doesn’t want to get too much in his head,only ready to handle each heat as it unfolds.

 

 

Fortune Ssentamu:
Another ugandan who riders on host track, says, its always been honor to represent his country 110 percent.
His principle target at 2023 Mxoan edition, is to get as many points for Uganda,and keep in top five in his Mx2 category.

 

 

 

 

 

Jerome Mubiru:
Riding on hired KTM bike from South Africa, Mubiru is confident quite of them in MX elite will excel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Larry Ssekamwa:
Having finished fourth overall at last edition in Garuga, Ssekamwa is one of the hard chasers on track.
The 10 year- old targets running close and working better with Miguel Katende on track against their other Nations nemesis in 65CC class.

 

 

 

 

 

Ron Young:
First timer, Riding on 2022 Husqvarna bike, is targeting to finish the race and getting maximum points in 85 Elite class.

 

 

 

 

Noel Ssekamwa:
One of the Junior boys Uganda has fielded in the 50CC, He is ready to compete  with top runners in his category.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miguel Katende:
Africa’s number two in the 65 CC category and world’s number 36,Katende says with the likes of South Africa’s Evan Fronst and Ledwaba Kabelo being at home, he has a different game plan for them.
He recently competed with them at the world Junior Motocross champion in Romania, with each having their own struggles at world championship.

 

 

 

 

 

Aron Orland:
Competing in 125CC class, Aron says he will need to be more aggressive, up the game,keep at high fitness level and speedy.
He consents that, most of his South African counterparts have had much time for training unlike him having less time due to his tight time table.
Aron is however adds that, its going to be an all different bold game for Saturday and Sunday at the sandy Zone7 racing track.

 

 

 

The annual Continent’s top showpiece has attracted nine countries including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Morocco, Botswana, and hosts South Africa who won last year’s edition that was held in Uganda.
END.

Posted by Patrick

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