New Desert Race's bad timing

Mqondisi Dube | Wednesday April 23, 2025 06:00

Hundreds of thousands spectators watched men battle with machine on the unforgiving desert terrain over three days filled with fun. It became a must watch event for the majority of motorsport fans and fun lovers. The month of June was like no other for the enthusiasts who looked forward to packing their tents and heading west for a weekend of fun and action. With the popularity of the race, came its uncertainty. First, it became diluted as a tourism event more than a sport competition. One might argue that its popularity unwittingly led to its demise.

Seeing the potential that the race had in driving economic benefits for the hosting region, for some strange reason, the race was moved to Selebi-Phikwe in 2019. It was argued that Selebi-Phikwe, a region that had lost its heartbeat in BCL mine, needed some economic impetus and the desert race was seen as one that could drive this objective. But the parties involved in this decision overlooked the sporting aspect and the need to maintain the purity of the race as a desert contest. There is no desert in Selebi-Phikwe but the urge to push the region's economy overpowered any other reasonable thinking. So off to Selebi-Phikwe the race went, which marked the beginning of the end. The race belongs to the South Africans, and when they felt the sporting lustre was being lost, they took it away to Upington, in the Northern Cape. Botswana had to rely on the benevolence of the South Africans, who briefly brought it back, and then took it away again. This left the local motorsport fraternity without a draw card. However, this year there has been commendable movement towards addressing the gap created by the departure of the 1000km desert race.

Last week, the Botswana Motor Sport (BMS) held the inaugural Sarona Kalahari 1000km desert race over two days. It is seen as the incarnate of the popular Mantshwabisi and in the long run, it is hoped its popularity will reach similar heights of its predecessor. However, the take off did not have the desired effect as some of the sport's top names were missing. It was expected as some riders would be circumspect given this is a new race without reference. The organisers could have pushed the race to the traditional 1000km Desert Race date, which is in June. While the Sarona race organisers were busy in Jwaneng. At the National Stadium there was a counter attraction in the much talked about FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix. This meant the desert race operated in the shadows of a more illustrious event and present a headache to sport lovers who would have loved to attend both. In future, the organisers would do well to try and scan the local sport schedule to ensure there is no clash with what could present a counter attraction. Otherwise the BMS should be commended for moving forward after the Mantshwabisi heartbreak.