THE Bahrain Cycling Academy (BCA) team was inaugurated yesterday during a ceremony held under the patronage of His Majesty’s Representative for Charity Work and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor and chairman of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The new team which includes seven Bahraini cyclists will be officially launched on January 31.
On the occasion, Shaikh Nasser valued highly the efforts exerted by the BCA to popularise the sport in the Kingdom.
He said the new team will compete at local, regional and international levels, adding that the ultimate goal is to have professional Bahraini cyclists participating in various international championships.
Shaikh Nasser expressed optimism that the academy will boost cycling in Bahrain, especially with the presence of outstanding cyclists who have attained landmark achievements, which, he said, will help Bahraini cyclists to gain experience and become professionals.
The inauguration ceremony was held at Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the presence of president of the Bahrain Cycling Association Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Shaikh Khalid thanked Shaikh Nasser for his constant support to the youth and sports sectors, noting that the inauguration of the team is part of the BCA’s keenness to meet Shaikh Nasser’s enlightened vision to boost sports in Bahrain and support Bahraini athletes to become professionals.
He indicated that Shaikh Nasser’s constant follow-up has encouraged Bahraini cyclists to develop themselves in order to be qualified to enter the Bahrain McLaren team of professionals.
Expressed
Bahraini cyclists expressed their appreciation to Shaikh Nasser for his keenness to provide opportunities for ambitious Bahraini youth to become professionals.
The academy’s cyclists will participate in the Bahrain cycling festival set to be held on January 31 and February 1 in cooperation with PowerUp and Cycle Safe Bahrain.