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Gift Sebuguzi and the Katende brothers, Miguel and Jonathan, will represent their country in the highly anticipated event held in Bucharest, Romania from July 7th to 9th, 2023.
A historic moment awaits as three talented young riders from Uganda embark on a journey to compete in the 2023 Junior Motocross World Championships.
Gift Sebuguzi and the Katende brothers, Miguel and Jonathan, will represent their country in the highly anticipated event held in Bucharest, Romania from July 7th to 9th, 2023.
These three riders will etch their names in Ugandan sports history as the first-ever participants from their country to grace the Junior Motocross World Championships.
With the event fast approaching, the team set off for Budapest, Romania on Tuesday morning, brimming with excitement and determination.
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The championship will gather the best young riders from around the world, providing a platform for Miguel, Jonathan, and Gift to showcase their talents on the international stage.
As the riders gear up for the competition, the Federation of Motorsports Clubs of Uganda (FMU) expressed unwavering confidence in their abilities.
Kisitu Mayanja, the FMU Deputy Vice President of Motorcycling, commended the team, saying, "The three drivers who are going are our best riders. I am very confident in the team that is going."
“We are proud of you. This is a huge moment, and go out there and make the whole country proud.”
“Every Ugandan is behind you, and they will be supporting you. Have fun, but give it your all,” Mayanja added.
Miguel and Jonathan Katende have already made a mark in the local and regional motocross scene, securing victories in the national, as well as East and Central Africa Motocross Championships.
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Meanwhile, Gift Sebuguzi boasts an impressive record as the national title holder in the MX85 category and the reigning African MX85 champion.
The trio's initial task will be to navigate the qualification race, where they will compete against over sixty riders vying for a spot in the final class races.
Only forty riders will advance, making each race a fierce battle for qualification.
To ensure they are well-prepared for the sandy terrain in Romania, the team has planned intensive training sessions ahead of the world meet.
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George Semakula, the father of the Katende brothers, and MX coach under Semka Riding Academy expressed the riders' excitement and highlighted their determination to qualify for the final race.
"They feel it's a big event, but their main target is to qualify first for the final race. And then the rest can follow," he said.
“They are very excited and think all the hard work they have put in over the period will pay off. It’s a record set.”
To familiarize themselves with the challenging conditions they will face in Romania, the team plans to hire a track at Gorgota, where they will practice on Wednesday.
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This strategic move aims to acclimatize the riders to the sandy track, ensuring they are fully prepared to give their best performance.
The track is situated 50 km north of Bucharest, the capital city of Romania and has become a central point of the Romanian Motocross Championship.
It has hosted different European Championship events, including the Sidecar Motocross World Championship and MX3 Motocross World Championship in 2003.
The track itself is a hardpack track which will be the perfect setting to host the fastest youngsters in the world.
The championship is a special event that celebrates the young and upcoming stars of the sport.
It has seen the likes of Jeffrey Herlings, Jordi Tixier, Pauls Jonass, Jago Geerts, Tim Gajser, among others, victorious at the event and then progress through to become successful MX2 and MXGP stars.
The junior championships were inaugurated in 2004, and is a feeder series to the FIM Motocross World Championship.
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