THE Zimbabwe motocross team failed to capitalise on home advantage finishing runners-up to defending champions South Africa at the 2015 FIM Africa Motocross Championships that concluded at Donnybrook Raceway on Sunday.
BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE
Hopes were high that the hosts would wrestle the continental title from their neighbours after the two teams had to be separated by a count out at the same event in Zambia last year, with South Africa emerging the eventual winners.
However, South Africa were much stronger this year as they finished top of the overall standings with 895 points while Zimbabwe were second on 699 points.
Zambia were a distant third after amassing 264 point in the two day event while Botswana, Uganda, Swaziland and Kenya respectively completed the overall standings.
Team manager Warren Wasmuth was full of praise for the overall performance of the team.
“Last year we finished far much closer to South African and this time I feel they brought an even stronger team and I feel we gave them a good run to finish in second place,” he told NewsDay Sport.
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“It’s just that our riders did not have a good day on Saturday but on Sunday all our riders came to the party and did extremely well to try and cut South Africa’s huge lead and possibly win the event but it was not to be.”
Former Zimbabwe motocross champion, Jaden Ashwell was in top form for Zimbabwe, as he won all his races in the MX1 class to finish as the overall winner ahead of Wayne Berrie from Botswana and Uganda’s Tahla Kigundu.
There was also a remarkable performance by 14-year-old Reagan Wasmuth, who finished on the podium in the last 125cc class as he emerged second best in his class.
Zimbabwe successfully hosted this year’s edition of the FIM Africa Motocross Championships after initial hosts Botswana ceded their right back in April.
Tandamanzi Drilling, Fuchs, Titan Motor Oils, Zimbabwe Motor Distributors, Garfunkels, Silkolene, Jim Perry Transport and Yamaha Marine Centre are some of the sponsors, who made the hosting of the event a reality.
