Taimur Khawaja wins Hub Rally

KARACHI: Taimur Khawaja of Lahore created the biggest upset to win the title of the 10th Hub Rally Cross 2023 which was conducted at Hub, Balochistan, on Sunday.

According to unofficial results, Taimur covered the 30 kilometre distance in 22 minutes and 29 seconds to wear the crown of the Prepared A Category.

He achieved the top honour by beating defending champion Sahibzada Sultan Mohammad Ali and popular racer Nadir Magsi. Nadir could not complete his race after his vehicle developed a fault. Sahibzada Sultan, who was set to defend the crown, finished as runner-up by clocking 23 minutes and 20 seconds.

Karachi’s Shiraz Qureshi ended third with a time of 23 minutes and 28 seconds.

“It's a dream come true to win the race which carried top drivers Sahibzada Sultan and Nadir Magsi,” Taimur said after his historic feat in the event which was witnessed by a huge crowd.

The event was conducted on a 30 kilometre track which also had a seven kilometer coastal strip.

Dina Patel wore the crown of the women’s category by covering the 30 kilometre distance in 27 minutes and 33 seconds. The debutant Afreen Shiraz finished as runner-up with a time of 28 minutes and 36 seconds while Anum Hameed finished third with a time of 40 minutes and 32 seconds.

Syed Asif Imam won the title of the Stock A category.

Shujaat Sherwani defended his veterans category title. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori distributed the prizes.

In the event around 75 drivers from across the country and 50 motorbike riders exhibited their skills in the serene atmosphere of Hub.

Tessori said that fans have been entertained by this event for the last ten years.

“It’s a real test for the participants to overcome various obstructions due to complicated track,” said the governor.

“This event was also witnessed by millions of people from all over the world online which also helped boost the image of the country,” the governor said.

Shujaat Sherwani, CEO Toyota Highway Motors, was the chief organiser of the event.