The Chronicle
Brandon Moyo,Sports Reporter
THE annual cycling event set for April in Bulawayo which features Kenyan marathon cyclist Otieno Wakake is gaining momentum with organisers expecting different players to take part.
With the event being an educational awareness as a means of raising funds to assist underprivileged children, organisers have partnered up with associations from Kenya and are looking forward to having the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
Martin Maseko, one of the organisers said they are also looking at having corporates joining them as the event draws closer. He added that the occasion will be crucial in sport tourism in the country.
“We are trying to reach out to corporates but at the moment we have partnered with the Kenyans, ZTA will also be engaged. We are expecting a lot of foreigners coming as tourists so ZTA may have to assist with other government departments to facilitate their stay,” said Maseko.
He added that they are also in communication with Cycling Zimbabwe to combine their Gweru to Bulawayo race which is scheduled for the same month with their event. They are also looking to emulate Kenya, who host thousands of people every time they have an event.
“Kenyans also have an annual event that hosts more than 20 000 people over a period of seven days. They have suggested we link them up, we will start on a smaller scale but eventually get to where Kenya is right now,” said Maseko.
With Wakake set to take part in April, it will be his second time in Zimbabwe having arrived in the City of Kings and Queens in December on his maiden visit. His journey into Bulawayo had begun three months earlier where he was trying to raise awareness for better education throughout the continent.
The Kenyan cyclist, who fell in love with Bulawayo on his first visit will ride from the Cradle of Humankind once again through the same route, which is from his native land, Kenya to Tanzania then Zambia and finally Zimbabwe.
The cycling association is set to handle their side of participants’ registration while the Kenyan partners are also trying to determine a price for the coming tourists. – @brandon_malvin
Article Source: The Chronicle