11 Jun 2024

The Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) junior national champion, Myra Mantle has called for early participation of girls in cycling to attract more numbers to the sport. 

Speaking in an interview following her victory at this year’s national championships, Mantle said the low numbers of women in cycling sport was as a result of introducing them late to cycling. 

“Girls should start mountain biking at an early age as the technical aspect of it was a challenge if one is not used to it,” Mantle said.  She said girls need to be introduced to mountain biking as young as at the age of seven so that they grew with the confidence of riding and being comfortable on the bike while traversing the technical and rough routes. 

Meanwhile, Mantle, who came victorious in weekend’s competition with a time of 1:34:56 in the 24.4km category said: “The route was technical but nice, with hilly parts.” 

The youth champion, Loapi Mmokele, also shared the same sentiments saying the route was tough especially the uphill and the batman part. 

“It was a steep and rocky part, and it was tough but I managed to get through,” she added. 

Mmokele said she was passionate about the sport and said she wished for the association to create more opportunities for girls to participate in the sport. 

Meanwhile, BCA president Kagiso Potongwane said with the technical skills required by the MTB, cycling clubs need to introduce children to the discipline as early as possible to build their confidence and have the experience of riding in tough terrains associated with the MTB discipline. 

“It becomes difficult when they start late, because of the fear associated in this discipline,” Potongwane said, urging clubs to introduce children to the MTB earlier in their age. 

He also said as an association, they would focus on girls to attract them to the sport. 

Additionally, Potongwane said they would tap on the Union Cycliste International (UCI) programmes, which they were affiliated to internationally. 

He said UCI had solidarity programmes where they fund countries and one of the programmes was athlete development where they emphasised women cycling. 

“If we focus on girls it will give us a better chance of funding, because UCI has also recognised the low numbers of girls and women in the sport,” Potongwane said. 

Meanwhile, other categories in the BCA national championships were elite men where Gontse Lethokwe was again crowned champion in a time of 1:37:24 doing 36.6km, under 23 men saw Thebe Ruele crowned champion in 2:01:43 for 36.6km. 

on the Union Cycliste International (UCI) programmes, which they are affiliated to internationally. He said UCI has solidarity programmes where they fund countries, and one of the programmes is athlete development where they emphasise women cycling. 

“If we focus on girls it will give us a better chance of funding, because UCI has also recognised the low numbers of girls/women in the sport,” Potongwane said. Other categories in the BCA national championships were elite men where Gontse Lethokwe was again crowned champion in a time of 1:37:24 doing 36.6km, under 23 men saw Thebe Ruele crowned champion in 2:01:43 for 36.6km.  END