Motorcycle racing is not a very popular sport in Kenya. Unlike football or even rugby, those who engage in the game of speed do it mainly for leisure.
Under The Superbike Association
(TSA), the umbrella body for super bikers in Kenya, over 180 speed merchants keep in touch and organize their activities.
On Monday, 25th March 2019, eight of them financed themselves to South Africa for a first ever proper track racing experience and they did not disappoint, turning heads with their good performances which included a podium finish in Redstar Raceway in Delmas, Johannesburg.
With hired bikes, the experience for the enthusiastic and ambitious team begun with participation in track week for two days on Wednesday and Thursday before entering the race on Saturday, 30th March.
“It was the first time racing on a proper track. Nobody knew us and they were wondering who are these people taking selfies on the track. We were the only blacks in the race,” Geoffrey Gitaka, who made the podium, finishing second told Kahawa Tungu.
Other members of the team are Sammy Goodluck, Livingston Katingima, Shaiman Mughal, Amiin Mohamed, Peejay Githaiya and June Odhiambo.
Thanks to their impressive show, the Kenyan team has been invited for another race in the Rainbow nation in October.
Gitaka insists TSA boasts immense talent at different age grades just begging for exposure.
“We have very good riders but we lack resources.
The eight of us had this experience because we could afford it, but there are many boys out there who can do amazing stuff with the bike but they lack the support to showcase their talents.”
Efforts to rope in the government through the line ministry to help grow the sport have so far not yielded much, “we have had this conversation with them but they don’t see the value, sadly.”
“We need a track,” Gitaka added, while calling on the corporate world to come on board to help see the dream come a reality.
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