By: Hee-Dee Walenga
The final leg of the 2025 FNB Schools Mountain Bike League season came to an end on Saturday morning at the IJG trails in Windhoek. The league kicked off in March, with Windhoek and Swakopmund designated as the host venues.
Saturday’s race marked the 4th of the season, with FNB Namibia having been a sponsor of the league since at least 2011.
Riders between the ages of 5 and 18 conquered the various courses with evident joy over the last 6 months. The young mountain bikers come from various schools, including Kleinplasie, Kammis Kiga, Walvis Bay Private School, Roots Gymnasium, DHPS, Windhoek Gymnasium, Windhoek High School, and Delta Secondary School, among several others.
Over the last 5 years, the league has collaborated with the Physically Active Youth (PAY) programme, to allow students from marginalised communities to partake in the sport. A pair of riders from PAY, 16-year-old Torrence Mork from Rosewood Academy and 16-year-old Warren Kamaze from Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School spoke to The Villager at the finals and stated, “we are happy to be participating in the schools league because we really benefit from it,” Mork expressed. Kamaze added, “It is really important and fun for us; it keeps us away from the streets.”
The league has been crucial to the development of cycling in Namibia. It has been the stomping ground for athletes such as Roger Súren and Delsia Janse Van Vuuren, who have become elite riders, representing Namibia at various international competitions.
The pair, who have been in the league for a decade and are matriculating from Windhoek Gymnasium this year, rode in their final schools league race on Saturday. Súren, a highly decorated rider, expressed to The Villager, ”I want to cry and laugh at the same time. I have had so many good memories in this league.” Súren finished as the overall winner of the U18 boys’ category for the 2025 season. Van Vuuren finished second in the U18 girls’ category.
The talented duo will now shift their focus to representing Namibia in Switzerland at the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
The FNB Schools Mountain Bike League is also a platform for a select group of young Namibian cyclists to hone their skills before they participate in the Spur Schools finals in South Africa later this year.
In terms of team awards, DHPS and Windhoek Gymnasium took home the floating primary and high school trophies respectively. Other individuals claiming top spot included Rose-Marie Thiel in the girls’ U18 category, Nicole Súren in the girls’ U16, whilst Julius Braun won the boys’ U16 category. Qara Volschenk from Windhoek Gymnasium won the U14 category, with St. George’s Ayixe Shaanika finishing second.
