Jurgen Kuppers is a former German motocross champion who started the sport at the age of nine.
He won his first German championship almost three decades ago.
Now, the 42-year-old champion is a trainer. And Uganda is one of the countries benefiting from his experience.
Kawowo Sports’ Sharifah Namagoba linked up with the German rider in Garuga and he gave some insights on motocross in Uganda.
After more than two years in Uganda, what do you make of the country’s motocross?
The sport is developing compared to the way I found it. There are more talented riders. You can also see them while on the track.
Do you think our riders are talented enough to compete outside?
The riders here only need to be polished a bit. A few more training sessions can help them compete anywhere.
Uganda will yet again vie for the regional championship, do you think the riders are prepared enough?
I have had several trainings with all the riders, giving them some new skills. I believe they will win this.
What are the challenges you realised in local motocross here?
Some riders lack the discipline of the game. They should have more discipline to the game, like checking everything before they hit the track. This helps not to be interrupted with mechanical issues while racing.
Tell us about Garuga track
I redesigned the track to give it more technics to riders, I added more corners and jumps. This will give riders more skills and they have a lot of options to do on the track. It is really a good track now.
Any advice to the federation?
The federation should organise more trainings for the riders. And if possible they should expose them to more competitions. That builds the riders confidence and competitiveness.
