One hour of training was enough for Zubair Khalil to master the art of navigation and become the assistant to a driver who won the Fifth Libyan Rally held last March in Tikirkibh (140 kilometers west of Sabha) deep into the Libyan desert.

Last year, the race was held in Tunisia for security concerns. This year, however, it was covered by Libyan TV channels, news agencies and newspapers amid a large number of spectators who enjoyed the beauty of the desert and the skills of dozens of amateurs.

One hour of training was enough for Zubair Khalil to master the art of navigation and become the assistant to a driver who won the Fifth Libyan Rally held last March in Tikirkibh (140 kilometers west of Sabha) deep into the Libyan desert.

Last year, the race was held in Tunisia for security concerns. This year, however, it was covered by Libyan TV channels, news agencies and newspapers amid a large number of spectators who enjoyed the beauty of the desert and the skills of dozens of amateurs.

Among them was Zubair who amazed with his excellence despite the short navigation course he received with other participants during which time he learned about identifying roads, crossing points and dangerous places, only four days before the race.

The 24 SUVs and four motorcycles that participated in the race were provided by Jeep, Ford and Toyota, and there were ads on some cars, promoting sponsoring companies.

The 70 kilometer-race was split into two stages. The first stage started from Tikirkibh camp through Mafo Lake to Umm al-Maa Oasis and the second stage started from Twiwa passing through Mendlh Lake and then back to Umm al-Maa Oasis, which was the hardest due to high sand dunes.

The coast differs from the desert

A Jeep agent in the city of Misrata Ramadan Samadi participated in the race and won the third place. That he owned a maintenance workshop for Jeep cars encouraged his region’s fellows to participate in the race.

“I faced difficulties coping with the nature of the desert, especially since most participants from Misrata used to train in Aerar area, 17 km southeast of Misrata, where sands stretch for several kilometers along the sea,”  Samadi said.

Great expectations

Samadi expressed high hopes for the future of this game in Libya “with the availability of good drivers” despite the fact that “most racers are not familiar with the game’s rules,” according to him.

“The rally has achieved its goal,” said Nizar Ashnisheh, a spectator, adding that, “I was impressed by the affinity among the participants despite being from different Libyan cities which is not particularly easy at present time.”

However, organizing an international Libyan rally is not possible due to “lack of qualified and experienced people since it is difficult to organize an international race using only a few number of people,” according to Samadi.

Special experience

With eyes full of joy, Hadi Bkai, a 40-year-old organizer, watched the rally for the fifth time. “Joy has a special taste this time in the absence of Gaddafi’s bureaucracy and fickle mood,” he said.

“I made an agreement with a Belgian company that wanted to invest in the Libyan desert for promoting their four-wheel cars to organize the previous four rallies,” said Bkai.  “Organizing rallies under Gaddafi was like facing the muzzle of a gun, where processing paperwork took months due to bureaucracy, especially when it was unfamiliar to organize such an event, but I continued my efforts despite the difficulties,” he added.

“If you do not have persistence, you will be disappointed by bureaucracy,” he stressed.

Great energy

Everything has changed in favor of this game’s fans. The changed political situation has helped exploit the energy of the youth in various fields and the “doors are open” with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), according to Bkai.

The participants in the previous four rallies were few, but with the increasing number of SUVs, owners who desire to enjoy their cars’ capabilities, rallies could be organized more frequently, especially since such an event is “excitingly thrilling and amateurs need to have a ring in which to exploit their energies,” he said.

Difficulties

Bkai said Libyans had participated in races organized in Tunisia and Morocco and that preparations were being made to participate in Abu Dhabi. “It is not about winning; it is rather about the presence of Libya in the game,” he explained.

While the vast majority of Libyans are football fans, Bkai underlined that MoYS supported all promising sport ideas to promote “Libya’s participation in all international events.”

Although the game has fans, Bkai complained about the absence of coaching centers, blaming MoYS and local councils. “There are no coaching centers. Individuals learn the race regulations by themselves where the racing ring is their biggest challenge,” he explained.

This rally was not the first nor will it be the last organized in different Libyan regions. The country’s terrain and nature are perfectly suitable for this kind of sport, which attracts tourists with passion for the Sahara and exploring activities.