Team Botswana is eyeing a first continental prize in motocross at the championship to be held at the Zone 7 Speedspot MX Track from August 11-13. Botswana will line up against Angola, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Over 200 riders are warming up engines as they prepare to take on the terrains on the cold front in the coastal city of South Africa. However, Team Botswana struggles to raise funds as riders are expected to dig deep into their pockets to make the trip, with just a week to the championship. The BMS is said to be in financial challenges as the association operates with a lesser grant from the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC). Riders and parents alike have since embarked on fundraising initiatives to fund the trip to Cape Town.
Jennifer David-Meyer has since set up a GoFundMe account for her son, Adam Meyer. The junior biker will be competing in the MX125 class at the championship and the family is struggling to fund this trip.
“As many of you know, our son Adam has an incredible passion for motocross, and his dedication and hard work have led to an exciting opportunity. For the second consecutive year, he has been selected to represent Botswana in the prestigious MXOAN (Motocross of African Nations) event. Last year, due to financial constraints, he missed the chance to participate in Uganda, and it was a tough pill to swallow,” David-Meyer said in a Facebook post.
“This year, we are thrilled that MXOAN is taking place much closer to home, in Cape Town at Zone 7 MX track. However, even with the reduced travel expenses, we still find ourselves in need of financial assistance to cover the various costs associated with the competition,” she added.
David-Meyer will line up with Tommy-Jayden Wotherspoon and Lourens Erasmus in the MX 65 class. Boineelo Rantao will lead the MX1 while BMS 2022 Best Rider, Kosmas Mamaloukos is in the MX2 class. Botswana’s highest finish at the competition is a fourth-best finish. Leading local biker, Ross Branch remains the only local to win the title as he did in 2015 and 2016. He, however, lost the title in 2017 on home soil. Since then, the local bikers have struggled to secure podium places in the championships.
The full team list:
MX1 Class
Boineelo Rantao, Victor du Toit, Kitso Malebo
MX2 Class
Kosmas Mamaloukos, Tabona Tafa
MX125 Class (women)
Elang Chibana, Tadiwa Tafa
MX125 Class (men)
Seth Meyer, Euan Harmse, Zameer Bodhaya
MX65 Class
Adam Meyer, Tommy-Jayden Wotherspoon, Lourens Erasmus
MX50
Zibo Moabi
MX Lites
Andile Mogorosi, Radikolo Linchwe, Jordan Maloba
Veteran Class
Andre Kruger, Lepsy Mosope
