Top Phl riders vie in Malaysian motocross

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s leading motocross riders pit skills and talents with their counterparts from other Asian nations and Australia when they vie in the FIM Asia Motocross Championships on July 15-16, in Kuala Terangganu, Malaysia. 

The event, made possible through the cooperation and initiative of HRH Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the reigning King of Malaysia, and Macky Carapiet, the concurrent FIM Asia and NAMSSA president, marks the staging of the first-ever motocross competition in the coastal Sultanate located 500 kilometers northeast of Kuala Lumpur.

“On behalf of FIM Asia and NAMSSA, I wish to thank HRH Mizan for agreeing to host the motorcycle sports event in Kuala Terangganu next month,” said Carapiet. “This event is the first big step in our quest for bigger things for Asian motocross. I believe we will be able to stage a World Championship event in this side of the world.”

NAMSSA is fielding in a 31-man contingent composed of riders, coaches and officials. NAMSSA is the duly recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as the national sporting authority for motorcycle sports in the country.

Kenneth San Andres, a four-time National Motocross Rider of the Year awardee, heads the banner field of local riders competing in the Asian MX2 category.

San Andres, who anchored the Philippine motocross team that competed in the second round of the FIM Asian Motocross Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia last week, hopes to draw support from veteran Jolet Jao, brothers Migi and Miko Tolentino, 2010 Asian Junior 85 champion Jean Erick Mitra, Chadwick Garcia, Zeraj Omar Aman, Cheaster Hinayo, Mark Anthony Gonzales and Norman Moreno in the centerpiece category.

Junior riders Mark Reggie Flores, Gabriel Macaso and Radzie Kallahal, meanwhile, will lead the country’s bid in the Asian Junior 85 event.

Others seeing action are top riders from Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Mongolia, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Australia. The races will be covered by a UK-based TV Production outfit and telecast to a potential 500 million global audience over the ESPN and Star Sports networks.

For details, visit www.namssa.org.