SET FOR THE BIG EVENT: Daily (fourth right), Lucas (third left), Kota Samarahan District Council secretary Simon Wong (third right) and the organising committee members hold bantings of the championship at the Kota Samarahan Motocross Circuit yesterday.
KUCHING: Samarahan is set to host the AAM Borneo Motocross Challenge at the Kota Samarahan Motocross Circuit this weekend.
Kota Samarahan District Office’s Culture, Youth and Sports committee chairman Daily Joseph said yesterday the council is excited and looking forward to organise the first international motocross championship in the division.
“We used to organise smaller competitions here in the past and we are hoping that this international championship will be a successful one,” he said when chairing an organising committee meeting at the district council office.
Daily, who is also one of the councillors, hoped the event will also encourage more local youths to take up the sport and also promote sports tourism in Samarahan.
He urged all parties to work closely with each other to make the event a great success.
“We also invite all motocross enthusiasts and people in Samarahan and other parts of Sarawak to come and watch the competition that will be participated by top national and international riders,” Daily added.
The event is jointly organised by Amateur Automotive Malaysia (AAM), Sarawak Automotive Sport Racing Association (Sarsa), Kota Samarahan District Council and Kota Samarahan Divisional Tourism Task Group.
Meanwhile, Sarsa secretary Lucas Tan said the championship is expected to attract about 80 riders from Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia.
He said the organising committee has received over 50 entries and they are expecting more to sign up because some riders have not obtained their racing licences.
“The limelight will be on two female participants from Kelantan, one of whom is 17-year-old Siti Haida Jaffri who has competed in the FIM Asia championship and we also have received entries from two 14-year-olds from Kuching,” he said.
Soebiandono Andrew, 37, who hails from Kampung Nangka, Kota Samarahan has also been confirmed as one of the participants in the Motocross 125 and Motocross Open races.
Five categories namely Motocross 125, Motocross Open, Motocross Veteran, Scrambler Open and Star Rookies Cup will be competed in the two-day championship.
The AAM Borneo Motocross Challenge is the first round of the AAM Malaysian Championship and Sarawak will also host the third round in Miri on May 26.
After the third round, six top riders from Sarawak will be selected to compete in the FIM Asia Championship in Gong Badak, Terengganu on June 8.
Other rounds of the AAM Malaysian Championship are Round 2 in Johor (May 2), Round 4 in Terengganu (June 8), Johor (July 7) and the final round in Sepang on Oct 20.
The Samarahan and Miri races are sanctioned by AAM and supported by the Ministry of Social Development.