By SANDRA MWILA –
THE Zambia Motor Sport Association (ZMSA) has raised US$5,000 (about K31,500) which is more than half of the budget that rally ace Mohammad Essa needs to compete in the last round of the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) in Madagascar next month.
Essa, the only Zambian driver who is competing at the ARC, encountered a sponsorship crisis when his sponsors Madison General pulled out after the Kenya Rally.
ZMSA technical director, Muna Singh said in an interview yesterday that the association through well-wishes had raised K31,500 towards meeting the K63,000 required to send Essa to Madagascar for the November 12 event.
Essa now has a deficit of $4,100 to meet the budget.
“Come rain come sunshine, the association is positive that the full budget will be met and Essa will go to Madagascar and represent the country,” Singh said.
Singh said the ARC title was worth the chase because Essa was a good driver and had chances of winning it despite lying second on the log.
He appealed to the corporate world to come on board and help the association send Essa to the Madagascar rally.
“Chances of him retaining the ARC title for Zambia might be slim because he missed out on the Kenya rally but we still have hope he can scoop the title,” he said.
Essa has 98 points on the ARC chart behind Ivorian driver Garry Chaynes who has 101 points.
The Madagascar rally will be a battle between Essa and Chaynes racing for the African title which was won by Zambia’s driver Jassy Singh last year.
Jassy is not defending the title this year due to school commitments.