Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) had their hands full this past weekend as they held an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) while also conducting the 2016 Mountain Bike National Championships on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The AGM was held at the National Stadium warm up area where Mmetla Masire retained the position president, a job he will have for the next 3 years.
Each club was represented by 2 delegates who were eligible to vote as per Botswana Cycling Association constitution and rules and regulations.
Masire couldn’t hide his excitement after retaining his position noting that it is a perfect opportunity for him and his committee to achieve what they did not manage in their first term.
“Clubs showed faith on me once again and this shows that they still believe in my leadership and this time for three years because it gives us much time to grow the Association into a better union,” he noted.
He further stated that they want to align their constitution and calendar with that of the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) plan, highlighting their intentions to produce quality athletes.
“What we are going to do as the BCA is to help BNSC achieve their goals by producing quality elite athletes for them. We already have Bernado Ayuso who is in Spain and we are also working around the clock to get the Zebra fund for other athletes to help them up their game abroad,” added Masire.
Masire however highlighted the challenges they are facing as the Association.
These challenges he said deter their efforts to lure fresh talent.
“It is not easy to start cycling without some basic equipment. It is a very expensive sport. That is a major hindrance but this can only be overcome by clubs if they can assist their athletes with necessary equipment and if they engage us so that we also offer assistance where we can more especially for kids who have interest in cycling,” he explained.
The newly elected committee also assured the clubs that they will start the revival and implementation of development structures and programmes. They also vowed to lure in new sponsors that will see the association reach greater heights and produce quality athletes.
Meanwhile Thato Madimabe and Ritza Armstrong dominated the under 23, 2016 Mountain Bike National championships that was held in Gaborone on Sunday. The event, which was well attended and highly contested in every category, was described as a true reflection of the good quality of local cyclists as well as a measuring yardstick for the growth of the sport of cycling in the country.
