Popularising Cycling in Nigeria
The President, Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Giandomenico Massari has said that the federation was committed to popularise the sports Nigeria’s six Geo-political zones.
Massari gave the assurance at the flag off of cycling event at on-going Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) Games in Abuja.
According to Massari, cycling can ensure a leading position for Nigeria globally in the sports.
He also assured that the NCF would ensure that more cycling competitions held in Nigeria to make the sports popular.
“We want cycling to hold in the six Geo-political zones, because it brings peace, good health and good road,’’ he said.
Massari, who is also Chairman of the organising committee for the games, said that cycling could do as competitive sports, recreation and for transportation.
“It is a life style; it is a healing way to live. It is the only sport that you can do from a very young age to a very advanced age compared to other sports.
“We have lots of potentials and Nigeria can have international recognition from cycling, and in African continent,’’ he said.
Massari said that NSE games was organised as an annual event for engineers to come together for fun, fitness, and mental alertness.
Earlier, the NSE’s Deputy President, Adekunle Mokuolu, said the one week event featured Cycling, football, Scrabble, Chess, and Table Tennis among others.
“We realised that engineers work and don’t have time for exercise, so we decided to hold this event.
“I know that there are lots of activities that go on during our work but that is not enough to be able to guarantee programmed body development.
“As the saying goes, you must have a sound body to have a sound mind. The sound mind is there because we are intellectually capable but at the same time we need to be physically healthy.
“This is why we introduced this. As engineers, we do things routinely, and this do not allow us develop our intellectual capability further,’’ he said.
“We just want them to have fun, keep fit so as to be physically fit to deliver whatever assignment given to them,” he said.
Emmanuel Igbinosa, Technical official of the games said that the race were in three categories.
He said that the corporate and Fellow category members of NSE, were expected to run one lap of two kilometres, the second category was the Students graduates engineers to run two laps of four kilometres.
Igbinosa said that to make the games colourful, the organisers invited some amateur cyclists to run five laps of 10km.
In the Corporate /Fellows category, Massari, the CFN President emerged winner.
Jimoh Adeyemi, Agbaka Abu and Njoku Micheal came first, second and third respectively in the male student and graduate categories.
Similarly, Uduak Akpanedet and Precious Iroegbu came first and second in the female student and graduate categories.
In the professional male category Daniel Etim, Isah Momah and Ishaku Jacob came first, second and third respectively.
Jacinta Okorie, Caroline Oung and Sarah Samuel came first, second and third respectively in the female category of the event.
Okorie, who won bronze in Cycling in the 2016 Africa Games, said this was one of the days that she looked forward to.
She expressed happiness for winning and pledged to do more to bring more medals to Nigeria in future international events.
