By: Hee-Dee Walenga
The 11th edition of the Namibian Cycling Federation BMX finals took place on Saturday in WIndhoek with young riders from all over Namibia vying for top honors at the culmination of the BMX season.
Racing on the course at the IJG Trails, 86 riders between 8 and 18 year-old put their skills to the test on the fast course. Prior to the finals, national cycling coach and the main organiser behind the finals, Jafet Amukushu, told Eagle FM that the competition has been a major contributor to the development of Namibian cycling, particularly for the youth that come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“When you see the smiles of the kids, it’s priceless,” Amukushu stated. The riders came from Omuthiya, Outapi, Oshakati, Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, Windhoek, Rundu, and Lüderitz.
Omuthiya BMX Club concluded a strong season by winning the overall award for best cycling center. Tonateni finished in second while Outapi finished in third place.
Petrus Petrus, one of the coaches for Omuthiya, told The Villager, “We are helping keep the kids out of the street. It motivates them and removes fear from them. We have found that the kids who do sports, do well academically as well,” Petrus said.
The club from the north finished with four gold medals, three silvers, and a bronze across the various age categories.
“The interest is high. If only we had more bicycles, so they can take part in mountain and road biking,” Petrus said.
“Omuthiya has put in a lot of work. They only had one kid that struggles the whole day,” Amukushu said.
Winner of the U18 girls category, Precious Andre from Rundu, expressed, “I am very happy for myself. I thank the sponsors for doing all of this for us,” Andre said before encouraging other young girls to join the sport. Petrus has been cycling since she was in grade 1.
Making their debut in the competition, the Lüderitz BMX club visibly enjoyed the experience in the capital. Victor //Gowaseb, coach of the club, told The Villager, “It was a great experience. We got three podiums despite our kids practicing on mountain bikes at home. The kids are already asking me ‘when are we coming back?”
