Coach Simon Hupperetz has lauded the resilience and adaptability of Kansanshi Mining Plc-sponsored cyclist Luwi Chikomba, who was crowned African Under-23 Women’s Cycling Champion after a commanding performance at the African Continental Championships in Ivory Coast.
Chikomba completed the 25 km Cross-country Olympic (XCO) race in 1:26:21, lapping her closest competitors and securing a historic gold for Zambia.
Her performance was part of a broader success for the Zambian team: Margaret Ngoma took silver in the Junior Women’s category, Richard Kashimoto earned bronze in the U23 men’s category, and Emmanuel Kanguya finished sixth in the Junior Men’s race. Coach Hupperetz, speaking to the Zambian Business Times (ZBT), highlighted Chikomba’s ability to thrive under challenging conditions.
“Luwi’s performance impressed! She adapted well to the heat and the hilly course, showing ease in technical sections and not fading despite extreme temperatures and humidity,” he said.
Hupperetz noted that while the field included riders from Ivory Coast and Cameroon, it was not fully representative of the continent’s top competitors but stated that the experience was invaluable for Zambia’s young cyclists.
“Going to Ivory Coast was a great opportunity to battle for the podium. We have to remain humble and keep working in order to be ready for bigger battles against strong participants from South Africa and Namibia.” He emphasized the broader significance of the team’s achievements, especially as this was the first international outing for Chikomba and Emmanuel Kanguya.
“It’s not only about competing internationally, but also learning how to travel, trying different foods, meeting people and opening up.” Hupperetz credited Kansanshi Mining Plc and other sponsors for making such progress possible.
“Without the support of the mine and our sponsors, we couldn’t even dream to be where we are now. We’ll do our best to make them proud of us!” With Zambia in contention to host the 2027 African Continental Championships in Solwezi, Hupperetz called for greater grassroots development, stressing the need for more youth races and club support from age 12 onwards. “The talent needs to be significant in order to feed the top stone of the development pyramid. This is the base, but it’s crucial.”
Article by Sam Mutale
