By Venessa Namusabi
The second of the Mountain National Motocross Championship took place on Sunday March 2,2025 at the Victoria Race Way Track Garuga in Wakiso District.
For the second time, it was the same old story of Fortune Sentamu (MX1), Miguel Katende (MX85cc), Gift Sebuguzi (MX125cc), and the Musede’s Eadric, Ethan and Jude (65cc) dominating their respective classs.
However, the regular absentism of many riders notably the Omar brothers Waleed and Wazir, the Lubega brothers Pascal and Emanuel Lubega, the Blick brothers, Wekesa brothers and Jeremaih Mawanda leaves un answered questions.
These sabbaticals are not justifiable and what has caused them needs to be addressed if Uganda is to compete at the global stage including in the FIM CAC on the easter weekend and MXOAN in Kenya in August.
Motorcyling is no doubt a family sport and if one family leaves it becomes so hard to replace one because of the conditions associated with the sport.
The deliberate attempt to maintain te families in the sport plays a big role in the growth that letter brings development.
There is a big gap between the lead rider and the challengers in every class except the 65cc class. That is abig threat to the national team when it comes to battling the opponents.
The lead racer fights alone carrying all the burden and pressure on the track during the particular race because his teammates will be far a distance trailing.
The Championships:
Currently the sport’s govering body, the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of Uganda (FMU) has scored points in attracting private investors in the sport who have set up facilities.
Runing eight calendar championships in motocross has helped the seting up of facilities country wide because events are there to kick start. However, the consistent and deliberate effort to annaully host events on each of these facilities remains abig challenge.
After the political turmoil, Uganda Motocross Arena, was denied events which led to the proprietor re-allocating his facility to other resourceful ventures.
It is a facility that lived to the world Standard that could be used by the management to bargain/ lobby to host international competitions which would be great advantage to Uganda.
More of our riders could get exposure at a very minimal cost compared to taking a few racers out of the country at a very high cost.
The distribution of events must be strategically allocated in consideration of not only covering the 75percent as required by law, but building a fan base, and keeping the facility owners confident to keep their lands dedicated to the sport.
The disappearance of Arua track project, the and then the Kasanje track sends a strong message to the management of FMU and its 16 clubs.
This leaves un answered questions that out of the 8 events on the motocross calendar plus the 5-6 Enduro events, how many are heading to Fort Portal?
Back to lessons in Garuga on Sunday, the tremendous decrease in the number of fans must worry the sport and measures that include the increase on the use of social media and the traditional media should be emphasised.
Speedway Motorsport Club president Abdul Kateete must be credited for the great job done to have a successful round two in Garuga.
Funding an event of the Garuga calibre is not easy and this calls for a deliberate plan to have funding of events and supporting of competitors.
Suprisingly the impact of Mountain Dew as a sponsor has not been fully felt and that is what should be well addressed.
To continued in Part II
