Kenya’s Atete Benzinge emerged as the nation’s top rider in the recently concluded FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations (MXOAN), held in Marrakech, Morocco’s fourth-largest city. Atete secured an impressive third place in the WMX Class, finishing behind Zambia’s Leah Heygate and South Africa’s Mienke Cawood. As the only Kenyan representative in the WMX category, her performance helped Kenya claim fourth place overall in this class.
Podium Finishes for Team Kenya
Team Kenya celebrated three podium finishes across various categories, with strong performances in the MX50 and MX65 classes.
In the MX50 Female Class, Chiara Hatanga took second place, trailing behind Hellena Ainomugisha of Uganda. In MX1, Kenyan captain Apollo Mbuki placed 9th, with Morocco’s Saad Soulmani winning all three heats, and Uganda’s Fortune Ssentamu taking third place.
Kenya’s Fredrick Yongo finished 12th in the MX Vets/Masters Class, a race dominated by South Africa’s Craig Cruger. In MX50, South Africa’s Joshua-Zion Naude led the podium, with Kenya’s Jeremy Hawi Opudo finishing in 6th place as the top Kenyan rider in this category.
Other Kenyan riders in MX50 included Chiara Hatanga (10th), Paul Thanga (12th), Leto Tohani (14th), and Matt Kahondu (16th).
In MX65, Kigen Mutuma placed 6th, making him the best-performing Kenyan in this class. Fellow Kenyans Dylan Hatanga, Jedd Hatanga, and Lemaiyan Muraya Mugo followed closely in 7th, 8th, and 9th places, respectively, with Armani Amani finishing 11th and Jayden Njogu in 18th.
Final Standings
Kenya finished fourth overall in the competition. South Africa dominated with 586 points, followed by Uganda with 479 points, while Morocco secured third with 447 points.
Zimbabwe’s Rising Star
Zimbabwe’s Victor Nyamupfukudza, aged 10, made a strong impression by clinching second place overall in the 65cc Class, just behind South African rider Chan Graven. Nyamupfukudza’s outstanding performance brought pride to Zimbabwe and made him a standout competitor in this prestigious continental event.
About MXOAN
The two-day MXOAN event brought together over 200 riders from 10 African nations, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Uganda. Known as the motocross equivalent of the Africa Cup of Nations, the event showcased intense competition across multiple classes, further cementing the region’s passion for motocross.
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