Organisers of the Ride 106 Yarona FM Cycle Challenge have promised to deliver a bigger, better and charitable event when cyclists take to the saddle and pedal on October 14.
Now on its second installment, the Ride 106 Yarona FM Cycle Challenge said the cycling challenge will now be used to raise funds for charitable causes in the country.
According to the Station Manager at Yarona FM Kelly Ramputswa, for this year, the ever growing cycling event will raise monies for the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation.
She said all proceeds accrued from the event will be channeled to the foundation, an initiative which seems to have caught the eye of Diacore Marathon. “Our proceeds for the race will go to the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation and this year Diacore has also pledged to contribute towards the donation,” she said.
Ramputswa highlighted that they chose the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation as the sole beneficiary of this year’s event as it has committed 100 per cent to the country’s youth empowerment. “This is very inspiring and as Yarona FM we will continue to support them so that their work never ends,” she said.
She said the initiative is an ongoing venture for Yarona FM and was conceptualised as a means to focus on the nation’s health and fitness. “The event promises to enhance our country’s sports tourism,” said Ramputswa.
The race consists of categories of 60 kilometers (km), 106.6 km youth, 106.6km Junior, 106.6 km under 23, 106.6km elite, 106.6 km veteran and 106.6 km masters,” said Ramputswa.
She added that they will have equal price monies for winning cyclists across the gender divide, with the overall winners of the event expected to walk away P10 000 richer.
“We made sure the prize money is the same across all categories of both male and female because we believe in gender equality,” she said.
For her part, Executive Board Director of Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation Matshidiso Masire said it is very important to grow talent at the grassroots. “With the knowledge that we are grooming our junior cyclists to one day become elites, we have ensured that they also get sound prizes to celebrate their victory,” she said.
Meanwhile Botswana Cycling Association’s Kagiso Potongwanwe said cycling has the potential to empower the youth. He said it is now a growing trend that youth cyclists receive scholarships through the sport to study all over the world. “I am also a typical example of someone who has been groomed by cycling. I have been cycling since I was in junior secondary school and as we speak I am a sports administrator,” said Potongwane. He encouraged parents to believe in sports and realize the value that it could have in their children’s lives. He therefore encouraged parents to find ways of luring them to sports.
The cycling route will this year start at Yarona FM parking lot at Fairground Mall. It will then go clockwise towards Julia Molefe Clinic, then north towards Sebele and then proceed to Malotwane. From Malotwane the route will proceed back to Airport Junction traffic lights, then towards Gaborone Private Hospital where it will carry on to University of Botswana road and make it back to Fair Grounds Mall. Registration is P275.00 for the 60km categories and P300.00 for the 106.6km categories.
