Mmegi

Local off-road race eyes global status

Ready to roar: The local off-road championship could seek global recognition
Ready to roar: The local off-road championship could seek global recognition

Just two rounds into Botswana's inaugural off-road car racing championship, the organisers are eyeing a place in Africa and the world racing scene.

The Botswana Off-Road Racing Championship (BORRC) was off to a great start in July at the Jwaneng Desert Challenge while it had improvements in the second round, Mantshwabisi 300, held last weekend at the birthplace of the desert race, Mantshwabisi village. Matshwabisi 300 saw the largest participation from international drivers as only five Batswana were in the starting line-up. Over 10 South Africans competed over the past weekend including Dakar Rally driver, Brian Baragwanath. Speaking to MmegiSport, BORRC organisers, Cyro Motorsport Group's Moizuddin Ahmad, said from the first two rounds, BORCC is raising its hand to bring a global race to the local shores. This comes after the reports that international bodies, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) are eyeing the southern Africa region as part of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). South Africa's Waterberg 1000 is said to have been lined up for the 2025 W2RC but Ahmad feels that BORRC has the potential to rival their southern African counterparts.

"The BORRC is ready to raise a hand for Botswana to host this event. Cyro Motorsport Group, which runs BORRC, works closely with the BMS (Botswana Motor Sport) as a BMS-affiliated club. No race can take place without the involvement of BMS. The latter is the governing body of motorsport in Botswana and the BMS is a FIA and FIM affiliate for Botswana," Ahmad said. "However, at the moment, the BORRC is running all its events through the support of private sector sponsors, which if Botswana were to hold an event of that nature would certainly require collaboration with the relevant stakeholders and authorities." "If Botswana was looked at by FIA and FIM as a possible host, which I believe we should be, Cyro Motorsport Group is ready to present Botswana as a premium destination for such an event with the support of government and relevant authorities," he said.

Editor's Comment
Khama, gov't should cooperate

Firstly, the government must play its part in facilitating this transition. The role of Kgosi isn't merely ceremonial; it carries substantial responsibilities and influence within the community. Therefore, the government must ensure that all legal and procedural requirements are met to support Khama's return. This includes providing the necessary resources and administrative support to uphold the integrity of the Kgotla and its...

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