- Title: LIBYA: MOTOR RALLYING : Libyan racers show off their skills at desert rally
- Date: 5th March 2013
- Summary: AL HAMADA DESERT, ZINTAN, LIBYA (MARCH 1, 2013) (REUTERS) WIDE OF CARS GATHERED IN ZINTAN CITY WHERE RALLY IS TAKING PLACE LIBYAN FLAGS POSTER READING IN ARABIC: "AL HAMADA RALLY" AND SHOWING THE RALLY'S SPONSORING COMPANIES CLOSE OF POSTER READING IN ARABIC: "AL HAMADA RALLY VARIOUS OF CARS OF PARTICIPATING RACERS PARKED IN DESERT RACER FIXING HIS GPS DEVICE RACER FIXING CAR TYRE VARIOUS OF CAR OF PARTICIPATING RACER SIDE OF CAR WITH POSTER READING IN ARABIC: "AL HAMADA RALLY" MAN SPEAKING TO RACER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RALLY ORGANISER, KHALID DERDERA, SAYING: "Today's event is a challenging rally in the desert. The first rally kicks off today. Of course this is just a training session in preparation for a future rally." MAN WEARING LIBYAN TRADITIONAL CLOTHES AND RACE HELMET MAKING VICTORY SIGN RACERS WEARING THEIR RACE HELMETS IN CAR AND GETTING READY FOR RALLY RACING CARS PARKED IN DESERT RACER PUTTING ON HIS CAR SEAT BELT RACE STARTING / PEOPLE STANDING ON THE SIDE AND TAKING PICTURES CAR RACING IN DESERT VARIOUS OF PEOPLE REPAIRING CAR TYRE RACERS GETTING HIS PAPER STAMPED AT CHECKPOINT RACER SITTING IN CAR AL HAMADA DESERT, ZINTAN, LIBYA (MARCH 2, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CAR RACER, KHALID ABU SHFERA, SAYING: "This is the first rally in Zintan city and it is the first time I have participated in it. I tried to prepare my car as much as I could and with God 's will, it will be suitable for the desert." AL HAMADA DESERT, ZINTAN, LIBYA (MARCH 3, 2013) (REUTERS) ABU SHFERA REPAIRING HIS CAR VARIOUS OF CARS RACING IN DESERT RALLY ORGANISER, SALAH DERDERA, TALKING TO MAN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RALLY ORGANISER, SALAH DERDERA, SAYING: "We are trying to focus on national racers, we want to form a Libyan league which would be able to race in international championships like Paris Dakar. For 26 years, there was not a single Libyan in the event. There are some racers from the Gulf like Naser al-Atiya and Khalifa al-Matawie, who are champions. They have participated in Paris Dakar ten times, but there is not a single racer from Libya, Tunisia, Algeria or the Arab Maghreb because there is no encouragement, although the racers have talent and good potential. I mean imagine how a racer from a desert country drives, he would be good." AL HAMADA DESERT, ZINTAN, LIBYA (MARCH 1, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CARS RACING IN DESERT
- Embargoed: 20th March 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Libya
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA3H3FPWKU2C8EAKA0EKUHH26TF
- Story Text: Libyan car racers hope a rally in the Libyan desert will prepare them for the international rally scene.
Racing through the desert, Libyan rally drivers hope their skill and technique will one day lead them to the international rally circuit.
At a three-day event in Zintan, over 50 racers from around Libya took part in the Hamada Rally in a bid to hone their skills.
The three-stage race took the drivers from Zintan, to al-Murhan in the south, on to Dirj al-Khammasa in the country's southwest and back to Zintan again.
Rally organiser Khalid Derdera said the aim of the event was to train national racers for future competitions.
"Today's event is a challenging rally in the desert. The first rally kicks off today. Of course this is just a training session in preparation for a future rally," he said.
The Libyan deserts have previously hosted many international rallies.
But this year, it was the turn of Libyans themselves to show off their racing skills in the first event of its kind to encourage national talent.
Desert racing is a tough sport. It requires professional driving skills, as racers have to drive across sand dunes and rough terrain. But car racer Khalid Abu Shfera said he was well prepared to take on the challenge.
"This is the first rally in Zintan city and it is the first time I have participated in it. I tried to prepare my car as much as I could and with God 's will, it will be suitable for the desert," he said.
Organisers say they plan to hold the event each year and hope to form a national team of racers who will one day be able to represent Libya on the international scene.
"We are trying to focus on national racers, we want to form a Libyan league which would be able to race in international championships like Paris Dakar. For 26 years, there was not a single Libyan in the event. There are some racers from the Gulf like Naser al-Atiya and Khalifa al-Matawie, who are champions. They have participated in Paris Dakar ten times, but there is not a single racer from Libya, Tunisia, Algeria or the Arab Maghreb because there is no encouragement, although the racers have talent and good potential. I mean imagine how a racer from a desert country drives, he would be good," said organiser Salah Derdera.
The Paris Dakar race is an infamous endurance rally, where drivers, motorcyclists and quad riders put their skills to the test, as they make their way through tough desert terrain all the way from France to Senegal. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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