Wade Young
Mikia Kalati
The Lesotho Off- Road Association (LORA) has organised an event to promote interest in motorcycle-racing among local youths.
The event takes place on Saturday at Sethaleng sa Mopapa in Maseru and seeks to ensure the sport is alive as the 2015 Roof of Africa off-road motorbike rally approaches.
LORA public relations officer Keketso Malebo told the Lesotho Times this week that the association is on a mission to promote motorsport among youngsters and ensure the country is represented in world-class events such as the approximately 400-kilometre Roof of Africa.
“You always see young riders racing around Maseru and now we have established a platform for them to do it along an organised route,” Malebo said.
“The plan is to promote the sport among the youths so that in future, we can have more local riders taking part in the annual Roof of Africa.”
The annual Roof of Africa is considered one of the toughest off-road endurance events in the world and attracts the best riders from across the globe.
According to Malebo, the association would offer training to riders and aspiring marshals in preparation the Roof set for 2-5 December this year.
“It’s important that we prepare the kids to grow up with a professional mentality so that they get used to how it’s done in bigger competitions. Our hope is that in future, more local riders take part in major competitions such as the Roof,” said Malebo.
According to Malebo, the Roof of Africa had done so much to put Lesotho “on the map”.
“I think the Roof has done a lot for our country in terms of tourism, as well as raising funds to support schools and charity homes. For instance, we recently donated over 500 blankets to five schools from the monies raised in last year’s race,” he said.
The schools, he added, are located in areas along the Roof’s route.
Introduced in 1967, the Roof rakes in an estimated M30million as hotels and lodges are fully booked during the duration of the race.
Wade Young (18) of South Africa won the event last year after taking it as a 16-year-old in 2012.
