Zambia’s 18-year-old Anita Yama has won the under-23 cycling women’s race at African Continental MTB Cross-Country Championships in Windhoek, Namibia.
The championship was for the selection of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Anita is said to have completed the 120 kilometer four-lap course in just over 1:50:00.
“I was chosen to go and represent Zambia and despite it being my first time taking part in the African championship race, I managed to dig deep and eventually emerging victorious despite it being quiet challenging,” she said.
Despite only racing for three years, she is the reigning under-18 champion and has so far won 10 medals .Anita has participated in the Kansanshi MTB, road races and school series.
“I hope to add to my medals as I will be taking part in the One-Zambia cycling race later in May, which is the biggest race in Zambia as we will have riders from all over Africa coming to take part. My advice to my fellow girls out there is that cycling is not just for men but about being confident in what you do and having faith in yourself as this is a very easy sport to take up, all that is requires is hard-work, determination and self-belief,” she added.
The sporting was introduced to Solwezi town in North-Western Province in 2014 with support from First Quantum Minerals (FQM) as a way of empowering local youths like Anita and providing them with an opportunity to escape illicit activities and poverty.
And FQM’s Kansanshi Foundation Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator and team patron Victor Nsana said he is proud of Anita for bringing honours to the country despite it being her first time competing at that level and beating some of the best riders on the continent.
He added that since its introduction, the sport has gained a lot of popularity among the youth in and around Solwezi who now make up the majority of the FQM-backed national cycling team.
Nsana further underscored the ability of sports to empower local youth in communities around the province and the role it plays in promoting healthy lifestyles, while bringing with it social and economic benefits.
“The sponsorship offers youth the opportunity to take part in cycling while simultaneously receiving quality secondary or tertiary education. However, in order for the cyclists to continue being part of our cycling team, they should be disciplined and doing well in school,” he said.
After making a name for themselves at the 2017 African Continental Open Championships with first place in the women’s category and sixth in the men’s, the FQM-sponsored cycling team now has its sights set on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
