9th Garden City Cycling Championship: 206 To Jostle For Honour

The nineth edition of Rivers State Cycling Competition, tagged Garden City Cycling Championships under the auspices of Rivers State Amateur Cycling Assocation gets underway in Port Harcourt this weekend with 206 Cyclists jostling for honours.
According to the Chairman of the association, Pastor Alex Enebeli, the annual event, which has held consecutively for the past eight years will attract participants from 26 states and five clubsides across Nigeria.
He said, while briefing newsmen yesterday that this year’s edition would witness some innovations that would raise the bar and elevate the quality and standard of the Championships.
The Chairman explained that an electronic device would be employed to track the performance and activities of participants throughout the 120 kilometre race.
Enebeli said that plans have been concluded to ensure that the Championships employs the best International Practices possible in order to standardize its operation with a view to avoiding accident and increasing safety.
Indeed, Rivers State through the programmes and activities of the association has become the home of cycling in Nigeria.
The state is the only one that organizes a monthly cycling programme and a consistent annual championship.
The Chairman said that they were looking forward to making the 10th edition and open competition, so that they would begin to host international championships.
Meanwhile, the association is looking forward to exposing its Cyclists to International Competition in South Africa and Europe.
The association recently represented Nigeria in some West Africa Championships, Benin Republic and Egypt, where its riders performed creditably.
“Having conquered the nation, we’re hoping to go continental and International.
‘Because of the exposure given to our athletes, they have begun to see themselves as professionals that can win Laurels. Our women are beginning to depend on the sport for a living.
‘our ultimate aim is to develop the Sport and athletes, take them to the next level, represent Nigeria at the Olympics and win medals, said Enebeli.
The Garden City Championships hold on Sunday with N200,000, N150,000 and N1000,00 prize money for winners and first two runners-up, respectively, at stake for both the male and female categories.

Chelsea players celebrating their victory against Manchester City, yesterday.