Sanjeev Pandya

Awadh Bafadhil is on his way to claim the third straight victory in the Automobile Association of Tanzania’s best navigator’s prize for the ongoing season.

Bafadhil, who has posted a rollercoaster victory in two back-to-back motor rally seasons with two different drivers, has so far collected 37 points.

 Bafadhil’s third title haul is being checked by Sanjeev Pandya who has also attained the same number of points after four time appearance this season.

 Both Bafadhil and Pandya have featured in four races but have not changed their drivers as the former services for Kirit Pandya while the later navigates Dharam Pandya.
 Should Bafadhil cruise into third straight navigation’s victory at the end of this season he would be duplicating Deepak Kotak’s feat during the 1995/6/7 motor rally seasons.

Kotak used to navigate Kishore Shapriya who dominated domestic rally series for three consecutive seasons.

Both Bafadhil and Sanjeev Pandya have to step up performance in the next rally as third placed Mameet Birdi is breathing heavily before the duo with narrow gap of just two points.

Birdi has opened up a ten-point gap over Moses Matovu and Bashir Suleiman who have tied on 25 points mark.

Birdi claimed the massive 25 points when he teamed up with Rishi Lodhia during their maiden National Rally Championship title haul in Arusha last month.

Suleiman chalked his points after navigating Shafin Khan in the Kilimanjaro rally.

So far the race for the best navigator of the season is still wide open and Bafadhil needs to shape up before his third title haul is halted.

Three motor rally events are left in the AAT calendar with the next in line is the African Rally Championship due next month in Dar es Salaam. Other rallies are expected to be staged in Arusha and Morogoro.