By Miguel Suleyman
The Automobile Association of Tanzania (AAT) has confirmed this week that Tanzania will miss the opening round of the African Rally Championship which revs off in Kenya in March this year.
The chairman of Tanzania Motorsports Commission, Satinder Birdi said none has so far shown interest to travel to Kenya where the first round of ARC will be staged on March 22nd and 23rd this year.
“It is sad no driver has submitted his participation so far with almost a month before the event’s take off,” he notified.
Gurjit Dhani from the Harri Singh team of Kilimanjaro said short notice, financial unpreparedness, and inclement weather can be reasons behind the poor response.
“None of us will be going to Nairobi for the Equator Rally in March, but some of us will be going to watch the rally as mere spectators,” he said.
Gurjit, one of the four members of the Harri Singh team, said it is easier for them to travel to Nairobi because it is just a four-hour drive from Moshi.
“Everyone longs to see the opening round of the ARC since there is also the opening 2025 edition of the World Rally Championship at the same time,” said Dhani.
Kenya’s round of the World Rally Championship is officially known as Safari 2025 and it replaces the ARC Equator Rally, which returned as Kenya’s round of the FIA continental series in 2021.
Kenya hosts the first round of the continental level championship as per the calendar released by the world’s motorsports governing body, FIA (The International Automobile Federation). Tanzania will stage the fifth round after Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda.
Tanzania has regained a ticket to host a round of the African Rally Championship (ARC) after FIA) approved the country to stage it in September this year.
Kenya stages the best, but the most challenging ARC event in Africa, according to Awadh Bafadhil who participated in his last ARC in Kenya in 2006.
“We enjoyed rallying in Kenya since their event attracts a big number of world-class drivers,” said Bafadhil who, in 2006, navigated Issa Mohamed to the podium finish.
“We sadly miss it, but we are delighted to see it staged very close to us,” he said.
In retrospect, the President of AAT, Nizar Jivan said the world’s financial crisis also affected Tanzanians and motorsports as well.
He said Tanzania hardly sends envoys in the events staged outside the country due to the financial constraints initiated by the crisis.
In 2005 and 2006, Tanzania used envoys in the ARC rounds of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa.
“Today most of the drivers can’t afford it,” he said.
Kenya will host the first round on March 22nd and 23rd while Uganda’s Pearl of Africa Rally, the second round of ARC, will be staged on May 10th and 11th this year. The third round of the ARC will rev off in Burundi on August 16th and 17th, according to the calendar.
