Sports Reporter—

ALL is set for the inaugural edition of the Tour de Machipisa cycling race scheduled for this Saturday in Harare’s high-density suburb of Highfield. The event will see kids below the age of 16 taking part in the 2,7km race which will have three laps.Race general manager, Judith Mavhunga, said they want to see cycling return to high-density suburbs and will not end there.

“We are happy that we are organising a very big event and we look forward to more than 60 riders on the day. The event is open to everyone and we hope to see many riders.

“There will be a lot of prizes for the different age-groups and proceeds will go to charity. We are happy that we have partnered the Cycling Association of Zimbabwe who will help us with all the logistics.

“It will be good to partner CAZ as they know what is required for a race to go on well. All riders are encouraged to have some helmets, knee and elbow pads are a must for all the riders.

“The good thing is we also engaged Kids Aviation in Africa and they will be our host on the day. Our aim is to see cycling as a sport spread to all parts of the country and produce some top class athletes so we are starting with the young ones who we believe will develop,” said Mavhunga.

One of the event’s organisers, Lawrence Madamombe, said the staging of this Saturday’s Tour de Machipisa cycling race was all part of their efforts to revive a number of sporting disciplines that used to be staged in one of Harare’s oldest high-density suburbs.

“In fact, some time back we used to have some recreational facilities in the high-density suburbs where a number of sporting disciplines such as soccer, table tennis, netball, athletics, and cycling used to be played and this kept a number of youngsters off the streets and engaging in bad things such as taking drugs and prostitution.

“But most of these recreational facilities have been neglected mainly due to the current harsh economic climate and as a result there’s a lot of delinquency among the youths in the high-density suburbs as they find themselves with nothing to do after finishing school.

“So, we have decided to revive or to bring back the good old days where youths would meet at community centres in the high-density suburb and take part in different sporting disciplines hence this drive of starting by hosting the Tour de Machipisa cycling race on Saturday,” Madamombe said.

He also said this event was just “a starting point” of bigger and better things that are in the pipeline for the residents of Highfield.

“As you know Highfield is the home of a number of prominent people who have made it in life such as music superstar Oliver ‘Tuku” Mtukudzi and what we are saying is that we need all these people to come and plough back something into the community where they grew up in. “So, this Saturday will see some of us who were born and bred in Highfield coming with this noble idea of holding this sporting event of cycling as a way of encouraging the young people of Highfield and the surroundings areas of Glen Norah, Glen View, Kuwadzana, Budiriro and even Mufakose and Mbare to be involved in sporting activities.

“And we are saying to all the sport-loving people from these areas come to ‘Fiyo’ on Saturday and be part of this big event,” Madamombe said.

The inaugural Tour de Machipisa cycling race will start at 6am at Machipisa Shopping Centre.

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