• MUNA Singh (right) presents a trophy to Induna George Zulu (left) for Chief Mpezeni (second from left) for supporting the Skyview Barn national motor rally at the weekend. Picture by ADRIAN MWANZA

By ADRIAN MWANZA –
VETERAN Muna Singh won the Skyview Barn national motor rally that saw only eight of the 18 cars finish the season ending event.
Muna, navigated by Michael Chulu, timed an hour, six minutes and 35 seconds followed by Kleevan Gomes and his co driver Riyaz Latife who hit one hour, seven minutes and 32 seconds with the Chulu brothers of Geoffrey and Laston finishing third with a time of one hour, nine minutes and 29 seconds.
Muna said he was happy to have won the rally but that he was trying to pass on the mantle to the young drivers.
“I came in this race to help my navigator have a good finish and not because I wanted to win. My aim is to guide the young drivers because we have the experience and they can a lot from us the old guys who have a lot to offer,” he said.
In fourth place were Mayure Patel and his navigator Kapunza Mbevya timing one hour 10 minutes and 49 seconds followed by Mohammed Hassan and his navigator Vihir Patel on one hour 14 minutes and 58 seconds and in sixth place was Farook Sidique and co-driver Pappu Saran with time of one hour 16 minutes and 42 seconds.
Yazdaan Ticklay navigated by Fred Chongocho timed one hour 19 minutes and 18 seconds with Noel Masadza and Silvia Malilwe finishing eighth place on one hour 21 minutes and four seconds and Tanweer Dala was ninth with his navigator Mohammed Ebrahim on an hour 34 minutes and 32 seconds.
Champion Muna Singh Jr failed to finish the race after his car developed a fault in the first round and other casualties included Leroy Gomes, Zubair Essa and Farook Tickley.
Muna Jr won the title with 155 points followed by Jassy 115, Kleevan (B class 97), Leroy (77) and Muna Sr closed the top five with 75 points.
And the Zambia Motor Sport Association president Sam Ching’ambu said the association intends to take the rally to Eastern Province, with other provinces to follow, for the unwavering support it has received especially from Chief Mpezeni.
“It is gratifying that Chief Mpezeni took time off his busy schedule to travel and officiate at the event and it is for this reason that we are going to ensure that next year we take the sport to Eastern Province as a way of saying thank you to the ‘Nkosi yama Nkosi’ (Chief Mpezeni),” he said.
Mpezeni, through his Induna George Zulu, said he was an ardent fan of motorsports and was eager to have the sport in Chipata.
“I am happy with the growth of the sport in the country and I urge the president to continue working hard if the growth could continue. You guys are welcome to even use Feni as one of the routes in the Chipata rally so that my people could see firsthand,” he said.