Botswana: It was an evening full of excitement, admiration and patriotism when BNSC held an appreciation dinner for the local motorcyclist Ross Branch.
From January 5 -19, 2024, Ross was at the Persian Gulf deserts competing in the dreadful Dakar rally, where he got to grace the podium in second position with only 10 minutes 53 seconds after the American rider Ricky Brabec.
The BNSC Board Chairman, Marumo Morule, delighted in the fact that apart from being known for being a landlocked country with over 2 million population, the work that sportsmen like Ross get to do is to put our country on the map. Morule thanked Ross for putting his life on the line and his hard work that has led to this glorious moment.
The Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare said his love for motor sport started in the 2000s as he started closely following the Toyota Desert race. Kalahari Ferrari, as he is affectionately known, is the first Motswana to get on the Dakar Rally podium and has been named the best African biker on the continent.
Minister Rakgare also applauded Ross for his sportsmanship during the race when he jumped out of his bike to help a fellow biker who was injured. “You risked losing time on your race, but you chose to embrace the principle of humanity to assist your fellow competitor, and for that, we are very proud of you,” applauded the Minster.
The Minister awarded Ross a cheque worth P124,000.00, P20,000.00 for qualifying for the Dakar Rally, P100,000.00 for finishing second in the race, and P4,000.00 for the appearance fee.
The Minister announced the Ministry’s pledge of P100,000.00 to assist Ross in preparing for the next Dakar competition. The Minister also thanked Ross’s sponsors, Lucara and Armstrong attorneys, for their contribution and corporate social responsibility. He further encouraged more sponsors to come on board to assist Ross on his next journey.
Ross Branch thanked BNSC and MYSC for putting the event together as well as the support of his family throughout the years. He also thanked Batswana, who motivated him during the race with their heartfelt messages of encouragement.