UCI signed an eight-year deal between them and the global sports management company Golazo.
The World Cycling Union (UCI) president David Lappartient is excited at the prospects that lie ahead for African cycling.
This comes after UCI signed an eight-year deal with Global Sports Management Company Golazo at the Stanley Hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday, April 25 as they seek to boost cycling in Africa.
“We at UCI believe that strong continental championships will mean a stronger UCI. The hosting of international championships in Africa has been a challenge, but you, as Africa, have the best athletes and these should be at the start line of these continental championships.
We would like to see one million people lining up the streets to watch cycling, and the sport needs to be promoted and be televised live in all African nations,” the Frenchman implored.
It was noted that the contract runs from 2014 to 2032 and will see Golazo, among other things, help African national federations to organize international championships.
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In attendance to the event was Golazo Group CEO Bob Verbeeck and the African Cycling Confederation (CAC) president Mohamed Wahih Azzam.
Veerbeck, whose company organizes 120 mass participation cycling competitions globally, attracting over 300,000 riders each year, said their focus would be on project management.
In addition to that, he said they well be keen to look into logistics support, strategy, safety and security in order to raise the profile of African cycling.
“Besides branding and marketing, mass participation events are important because they involve more people and bring more people into the sport,” he said.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, who was the chief guest on Tuesday, April 25, assured that the government would continue to support cycling under the Talanta Hela initiative.
“Talanta Hela is a special purpose vehicle to move sports from being merely recreational to assuring sportspeople of a livelihood, and to also brand our country as a good destination for sports tourism,” Namwamba said.
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Meanwhile, president Azzam expressed his excitement towards the deal saying they will work hand in hand with Golazo.
“We are looking at developing cycling in Africa… CAC and Golazo will co-operate to realise our dream,” the Egyptian said.
Lappartient was on a two-day tour of Kenya to attend the CAC Congress. The congress concluded with the adoption of financial reports for 2021 and 2022 along with the confederation’s 2023 budget.
The suspension on the Senegalese cycling federation with the Djibouti and Sierra Leone federations were also lifted.