By ISAAC MUKANDO –

NATIONAL Champion, Kenny ‘Ichongedwe’ Mukosa has been crowned the 2013 Zambia Motor Sports Association Driver of the Year.
Mukosa landed the award after he beat four other contenders Toofail Dalal, Azim Ticklay, Yazdaan Ticklay and African Rally Champion, Jassy Singh.
The Monze-based Mukosa, who drives the Subaru N8, picked up his accolade during a colourful ZMSA Awards Gala Night held at Mindolo Dam in Kitwe at the weekend.
Singh was however decorated with a special award for being the youngest ever African Rally Champions and also the Sportsman of the Year while Dalal got the Most Improved Driver accolade.
Afzal Essa walked away with the Most Improved Navigator Driver award while veteran, Dave Sihoka was also given a special award for being a four-time Navigator Champion.
Nash Chisenga, Mali Chulu, Osward Chibebe, Sihoka and Essa were also recognised as Best Navigators.
In the vehicles’ class category, Ticklay and Chibebe won the Class C which was for utility vehicles while Class B which was for the two-wheel drive  up to 2000CC vehicles saw Muna Singh Junior and Balveen Singh winning.
Mukosa and Chisenga emerged victorious in Class A for the group N 4×4 turbo vehicles.
In the motocross category for MX1 and MX2, Nicholas Comana and Dale Holiday were winners with Mauro Guardigili bagging the Veterans’ award.
The Seniors’ Rider award went to Holiday while the MX 85 was awarded to Leah Heygate.
The overall award for the Enduro went to Holiday while Justine Barret got the B2 accolade.
The Family Recognition Award went to the Chulu, Ticklay and Singh families.
And Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili  said Government would continue increasing the budgetary allocation for sports development to promote sports and recreation in the country.
Kambwili said Government’s support to sports associations had been decentralised to the Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ).
In a speech read for him by SCZ vice-chairperson, Emmanuel Katebe, Kambwili said Government attached great importance to sports and recreation because of the significant role it plays in shaping the fabric of the nation, hence the reason for increasing budgetary allocation.
He said sport helped in the building of the physical and mental faculties of all citizens which was critical to national development.
“I therefore wish to reaffirm Government’s equity considerations to support and increase budgetary allocation to all the 43 sports disciplines in the country including motorsports,” Kambwili said.
The minister said Zambia as a nation was decorated with pride from all the honours that the ZMSA had brought to the country especially in the last two years.
ZMSA president, Marco Comana said the year 2013 was good in terms racing as a lot had happened and it had brought even more international recognition for the country.