Wekesa relishing contest with talented Ssentamu
Wekesa (24), Ssentamu (55) and Malcolm Lubega (44) will all be in action. PHOTO BY JB SSENKUBUGE
Kampala- One year ago, upcoming MX85 rider Kylan Wekesa was so awestruck by Fortune Ssentamu’s skills that he told Sunday Monitor, “No one can beat that guy. Even Maxime Van Pee would struggle.”
It is a measure of how much he has grown in the man and machine sport that today, he has a deep conviction that he can compete with Ssentamu.
At the FIM All-Africa nations MX Championship, Wekesa beat Ssentamu for the first time in his young career.
But ahead of the hugely anticipated sixth round of the Mountain Dew MX championship at Busiika today, Wekesa acknowledges he is still the inferior rider. “Beating Ssentamu (in Zambia) was surprising for me and for him,” the 13-year-old says.
“But Uganda is his home track and because he has been in the sport longer and has gone through the tracks much longer period, it is harder edging him at Garuga or Busiika.”
Thankfully for Wekesa, he will be riding at his favourite Busiika track where he hopes to continue bettering his learning curve in the MX85 class.
His father Amos Wekesa has purchased for him a brand new 2019 KTM 85 which he will ride today before a capacity crowd.
The bike is a fulfilled promise from dad after his wonderful performance in Zambia in which he finished among the top 5.
Such is his passion for the sport that he sees himself in motocross for a ‘very long time’ even though his first love is basketball.
“I look up to Fatuh Kiggundu, Maxime (Van Pee) and Stav (Orland) and hope to be like them one day.”
The young Wekesa has meanwhile given his 2017 KTM 85 to Habib Kiggundu for keeps. In keeping with the good siprit, he has also given Kiggundu his 2018 KTM 85 to use at Busiika today.
In a related development, Wekesa Snr has facilitated the repairing of Fatuh’s Yamaha with spares worth Shs8m.
