Biker Boy: Singaporean brothers on the right (race) track
S'pore brothers compete against each other in M'sian motorbike race
Today in Qatar, the big boys of MotoGP will do battle in the first race of the 2017 season.
Undoubtedly, every young motorcycle racer aspires to race on the international stage and have their names on the lips of talent scouts.
Last weekend, 11 young riders from six Asian countries began pursuing their dreams by taking part in a one-make race called the KTM RC Cup Asia at the Sepang International Circuit.
Aged between 14 and 22, the riders, who rode KTM RC390 sportsbikes, competed in Round 1 of five rounds in what was categorised as the Orange Class.
Of the 11 riders, two of them were Singaporean brothers who have been racing regionally these past few years.
Their mother, Madam Mazlindah Abdul Ma'moon, told The New Paper she was nervous but proud to see both youths representing the country.
The 47-year-old, who works in a bank, said: "I must admit there was some fear, because they had never raced in the same event before... There was double pressure for me."
Fortunately, there were no crashes or drama between Muhammad Aiman Nabil Shaharum, 16, and Arsyad Rusydi Shaharum, 19.
Aiman, who is supported by local KTM distributor DirtWheel Motor, said: "If anything happened between my brother and me on the circuit, it would have been an awkward car ride back to Singapore. But I think having him in the same race was beneficial as we could strategise how to win."
Aiman finished the weekend with two top-five spots. He was fifth on Saturday's race and fourth on Sunday at the circuit's 2.6km South Track.
CHALLENGING
Aiman, who will be starting his polytechnic education next month, said: "All the others were experienced riders. It was my first time on the KTM RC390, and I started riding it only a week before the races."
The race weekend was dominated by Malaysian riders such as Round 1 overall winner M. Ibrahim Mohd Norrodin.
Competition was stiff with the top riders crossing the finish line within the blink of an eye from one another.
The winners stand a chance to race in the world final in Europe with the possibility of participating in the prestigious RedBull Rookies Cup.
KTM's executive director for South-east Asia, Mr Selvaraj Narayana, said: "The races were closely fought, which was what we hoped for... We could also see the racing level of the riders significantly improving from the first day to the second."
Aside from Asia, there are eight other KTM RC Cups being run worldwide in countries such as Germany, the US and France.
Aiman, who is too young to have a motorcycle licence, said he "does not care" to get one as his parents forbid him from riding on public roads.
Madam Mazlindah said: "My sons race in a controlled environment. There are no heavy vehicles apart from the other motorcycles. I feel confident as they are in full riding gear."
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