Dakar Rally should return to some Latin countries: Spanish racer Roma

Spanish racer Joan Roma, best known as Nani, urged organisers to consider returning the Dakar Rally to countries in Latin America such as Argentina and Chile, as the upcoming edition is to be held in Peru.

During an event by organisers held here, Nani, who won the 2004 Dakar Rally riding a motorcycle and the 2014 edition driving a car, said that Latin America has wonderful areas to hold the event, while getting back to Africa is difficult at the moment, reports Efe news.

"For me South America has spectacular sites: the Atacama (Desert) in Chile, Argentina," the 46-year-old racer said.

He added that the French media group of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which organizes several sports events including the Dakar rally, "has to react, change the way of doing things and return again to the countries they were in before."

Nani also sees that returning to Africa currently would not be the most suitable choice as the security and geopolitical situation in many countries of that continent was getting worse all the time.

"There are talks of going back to Africa, but honestly I do not see it is possible," Nani expressed. "Morocco is safe, there are parts of Algeria that are safe; (however the rally) cannot go to Libya, Mali is not safe."

He added "to get the rally back to Africa will be different from what it used to be. For me, the Dakar rally could stay in Latin America."

--IANS

gau/bg