Nigeria: Cycling – Rivers Hopeful of Medals Haul

30 June 2011

Rivers Cycling Coach, Emmanuel Onosoya, has said his team will win medals at the on-going 17th National Sports Festival.The state is fielding 15 cyclists made up of seven females and eight males.

Onosoya said in Port Harcourt yesterday that the state’s cycling team had prepared well for the festival. He said one of the cyclists, Edward Osim, had performed well in the men’s 200 m sprint heat which took place at Aggrey road in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Onosoya said the national coach, Bashir Mohammed, had already invited Osim to the national camp for trials.

He also said two male cyclists from the state qualified for the quarter finals of the men’s 200 m sprint event.

The coach said the team went on a training tour from Rivers to Akwa Ibom and Cross River and then back to Rivers as part of its preparations for the festival.

“The Tour de Niger Delta really helped my cyclists, both male and female, and it impacted a lot of things into their legs and you can see the expression of it in this 200 meters sprint.

“You can see how the boy is taking them on. I think they have qualified for the quarter finals now.

“We are even saying that the officials should consider the weather of Port Harcourt and round it up now,” he said.

“If the game is completed on time, the organisers will have more time to continue with other cycling events because the weather is unpredictable,” he added.

Onosoya said the state’s cycling team had the capability to cause an upset and win most of the medals in the 15 events in cycling.

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