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Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
TALENTED South African motorcyclist Themba Khumalo will be taking part in the Bulawayo Motoring Club’s first national event to be held at the Victoria Falls Road Circuit on Saturday.

Khumalo is one of South Africa’s youngest and only black rider to win a Motoring South Africa sanctioned series, the Northern Regions Pocket Bike Championships in 2008 and 2009.

In 2010 he finished third in the series.

Khumalo will ride a new Honda 600cc machine for the first time this year as it has just been built for the South African season by Adrenalin Powersport. Themba presently lies fourth overall in the Northern Region Championships in South Africa after one round.

Khumalo told Chronicle Sport that returning to Zimbabwe is a highlight for him as the public reception and support is overwhelming and he hopes to challenge a very fast pack of Zimbabwean riders as he did last year in the Toyota Castrol Endurance Race.

“I’m excited to be part of this race, returning to Zimbabwe is a highlight for me. The public reception and support is overwhelming and I can’t wait to challenge the fast Zimbabwean riders I got to race against last year,” said Khumalo.

The 18-year-old Khumalo will have support from teammates, David Mouat and Tiffany Fisher also aboard similar 600cc motorcycles.

Visiting from the capital, Harare, will be Phil Archenoul and he is expected to give Bulawayo boys a lot of competition, but all eyes will be on the defending champion Fuzzy Walker who won last year.

According to his online profile Khumalo competed in two rounds of the European Junior Cup in 2011, held in conjunction with World Superbike events, with a fourth place finish in Italy.

He returned to South Africa when a proposed sponsorship deal did not materialise completing the season competing in the Northern Region’s 150 Championship, where he established himself as a front runner in that class.