Sachania shifts gears in Burundi Rally in bold title push

Sachania and his long-time co-driver Deep Patel find themselves second in the standings, having amassed 77 points.

by TEDDY MULEI

Sports11 August 2025 - 09:30

In Summary

‎After three opening rounds of the ARC 2025 season, Sachania and his long-time co-driver Deep Patel find themselves second on the standings having amassed 77 points.
‎Sachania’s latest charge came at the gruelling Mountain Gorilla Rally in Rwanda, where he tamed the challenging terrain to clinch second place.

*Nikhil Sachania (R) and his navigator Deep Patel/ HANDOUT*

Paraplegic rally ace Nikhil Sachania is gunning for a crucial haul of points at this weekend’s Burundi Rally as he mounts a full-throttle assault on a maiden African Rally Championship (ARC) crown.

‎After three opening rounds of the ARC 2025 season, Sachania and his long-time co-driver Deep Patel find themselves second in the standings, having amassed 77 points.

‎Uganda's Yasin Nasser leads the charge with 86 points, whereas Kenya's Samman Vohra sits in third place with 71 points. ‎Carl 'Flash' Tundo is fourth with 50 points, with Jeremiah Wahome fifth with 42 points. ‎Two-time African champion Karan Patel finds himself in sixth place, having amassed 35 points.

‎Sachania’s latest charge came at the gruelling Mountain Gorilla Rally in Rwanda, where he tamed the challenging terrain to clinch second place. Vohra, with co-driver Drew Sturrock, took top honours in 1:48:59.1, with Sachania clocking 2:03:39.7 and Tanzania’s Prince Charles Nyerere sealing the podium in 2:16:36.7.

‎‎Buoyed by a string of podium finishes, Sachania is confident the title fight is far from over. ‎“It puts us in real contention for the overall ARC Championship, which is incredibly exciting," Sachania said after the Mountain Gorilla Rally.

‎He highlighted the complexity of the Rwanda Rally, noting that a second-place finish was good for his team. ‎“Finishing second presents a proud moment for both me and the team. Rwanda always delivers a tough but beautiful event, and I’m grateful for the support we received from fans and organisers."

‎ ‎Still, the Kenyan knows the road ahead is anything but smooth. ‎“It will be a tough challenge, but with the support of my team, family, friends and KCB, we will put in our best,” he added. Following Burundi, the ARC season will roar to a close in Tanzania from September 19–21. ‎Patel is the current reigning African champion, having claimed the 2024 title with 140 points.

‎‎Before last year's edition, Patel had claimed his maiden title in 2023, amassing 144 points to edge out Ugandans Jas Mangat (141) and Nasser (110).

‎Meanwhile, Nasser will be looking to defend his lead and deliver Uganda’s first ARC title since Charles Muhangi’s triumph in 1999.

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