The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Online Correspondent
FOUR riders from the country’s top cycling club, Unimills-Hokoyo have been selected to represent Zimbabwe at the upcoming Road Cycling African Championship which will be held in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt from 23 to 27 March.
The trio of Unimills-Hokoyo captain Andrew Chikwaka, national road race champion Advocate Phiri and Nkululekho Dube are part of the four-man elite team that also includes Amos Chikwara who rides for Harare cycling club, Team Tsvakai while Lizwilenkosi Sibanda is the sole Under-23 rider for the African cycling showpiece.
Also selected for national duty in Egypt is the elite women’s trio of Skye Davidson, Helen Michell and Stacey Hislop.
Linda Davidson has been appointed the team manager.
The appointments were announced by Cycling Zimbabwe president, Norman Bonne last week.
The riders will compete against riders from across the continent over their individual distances for team trial, individual trial, road race and mixed relay events.
Unimills-Hokoyo principal, Davis Muhambi said his club is excited at the prospect of racing against Africa’s top riders in Egypt adding that this was a positive endorsement of Unimills-Hokoyo’s commitment to the sport.
“We are very excited that our riders have been selected for national duty and we believe they will be very competitive at the championships,” said Muhambi.
“When we started this club in 2020, we said the key focus is on empowerment of our young riders who have the requisite talent to become top riders not just in Zimbabwe but on the continent. This call-up vindicates our efforts and focus as well as endorsing our empowerment and development program.
“I have no doubt that our riders will acquit themselves well in Egypt and I am positive that they will bring back a few medals,” Muhambi added.
Muhambi said his club was already working on fundraising after the national cycling association, Cycling Zimbabwe indicated that it did not have funds to pay for the team’s travelling and accommodation expenses to Egypt.
“Cycling Zimbabwe advised us that it did not have resources to fund the trip to Egypt and asked individual clubs to help with fundraising. We have already reached out to our corporate partners and we are confident that our riders will be able to travel to Egypt for this event,” Muhambi said.
According to Muhambi, about US$1 500 is required for each rider to travel to Egypt. -@RealSimbaJemwa
