Enthralling weekend awaits fans of off-road sport as 2021 Qatar International Baja kicks off tomorrow
This weekend, an exciting time awaits all lovers of off-road sport as the Qatar International Baja, the 5th round of the FIM Bajas World Cup, gets underway at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor tomorrow.
The three-day competition will flag off with a spectacular opening ceremony by 3:00 pm and will conclude on Saturday with the closing ceremony at the same venue as the kick-off (3:00 pm).
Participants will have the opportunity of witnessing action from 48 riders, drivers and competitors (37 motorcycles, five quads and six SSVs) from 15 nations who will be navigating the Doha desert on their bikes, quads and SSVs.
Venue map of the opening ceremony
Qatar's flagship off-road event was rescheduled from its original April calendar slot due to the global COVID 19 pandemic.
The entry-list includes contestants from Australia, Tunisia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, Mozambique and the United Kingdom who will be joining a formidable local line-up of riders, including Sheikh Mohamed al-Thani, Abdulrahman al-Sheeb, Mohamed al-Kaabi and Jamal al-Qetiti at the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF)-organised competition.
Motorists are advised to take extra caution when passing through the routes of the competition, as indicated in the accompanying map and visual.
MX Ride Dubai's Mohamed and Sultan al-Balooshi are two favourites to succeed on two wheels, while Kuwait's Sarah Khuraibet, Mohamed Jaafar Meshari and Abdullah al-Shatti are also chasing FIM championship glory.
Mozambique's Paulo Oliveira, who is visiting Qatar for the first time on his Husqvarna CRX 450 RX, will face competition from Kiwi Edward Lines, Bahrain's Salman Mohamed and a host of Saudi riders that include Abdulhalim al-Mogheera and Ahmed al-Jaber.
The Qatar International Baja has also attracted a group of 13 British riders, including Dakar veteran and Desert Rose team organiser Patsy Quick, Robert Wallace, Barry Howe, Kurt Burroughs, Andrew Newland, Richard Doors and Vanessa Ruck.
There are six all-terrain vehicles entered in the SSV category: local hopes rest on the shoulders of Ahmed al-Kuwari (Yamaha), Khalid al-Mohannadi (Polaris) and Abdullah al-Khelaifi (Yamaha), but they will face resistance from Jordan's Ahmed Allah (Can-Am), Lebanon's Henry Kathy (Can-Am) and Italy's Stefano Marini (Yamaha).
Five Yamaha quads will also tackle the event this weekend, with Saudi Arabia's Faisal al-Suwayh lining up alongside fellow compatriots, Haitham al-Tuwaijri, Sultan al-Masoud, Hani al-Noumesi and Abdulaziz al-Atari.
A quintet of British riders has entered the over-450cc category, namely Harry Michael, Hugh Mackay, Joseph Dann, Quick herself and Brett Hunt. Saudi Arabia's Mohamed al-Khater and Qutaibah al-Sharif are also registered in this non-points scoring section of the Baja.
"We are delighted to see such a strong international field of riders and drivers for our first event to be a round of the FIM Bajas World Cup," enthused QMMF's Executive Director Amro al-Hamad. "I am sure that international competitors coming here for the first time will relish the challenge of the route laid on by our team at the QMMF. For those riders returning, I am sure they are aware of the demands of the desert here, both in terms of navigation and the varied type of terrain they will face over the weekend."
Several competitors will also take part in a Qatar National Baja running behind the main FIM event. Entrants include former MERC rally driver Edith Weiss and Qatar's Ali al-Jaidah.
The event gets underway at the new Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on Thursday afternoon (September 30). Competitors will then face three stages and 504.24 competitive kilometres in a demanding desert route of 872.44km before the finish at the Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday evening.
Venue map of the closing ceremony
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