Cycling: A Youth-Friendly Profession
According to a study conducted by Maurice Quarshie of the Centre for Cycling Expertise, cycling, as a mode of transportation, is not new in Ghana, since it is still the most common mode of transportation in the north of country.
Advertisement
However, it is not widely accepted as a method of transportation in the south, particularly in Accra, and most motorists consider bicycles to be a nuisance, while the dangers of cycling on the streets deter many commuters.
Nonetheless, concerns such as traffic congestion, relatively high travel costs, and increased media coverage of cycling events across the globe are motivating a growing number of young people to take to cycling as a form of transportation and a professional sport.
As a result, five cycling contests have acquired traction and national attention during the previous three years.
The Ghana Cycling Federation structured the Tour Du Ghana. The Cowbell Cycling Tour is also organised by the food manufacturing company, Promasidor Ghana Limited.
The Osagyefo Criterium is controlled by nationalist, Kojo Graham, PruRide Accra is organised by insurance heavyweight, Prudential Life Insurance Ghana, and the 3FM Tour Du Ghana is planned by media and communications giant Media General.
All of these competitions are overseen by the Ghana Cycling Federation, the country's official body for cycling.
Aside from these competitions, some tribes and ethnic groups have incorporated cycling competitions to commemorate their traditional festivals and other occasions, with the most recent example being the people of Winneba organising the Aboakyer Cycling Race, in collaboration with the Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF) and Effutu Traditional Council.
In terms of benefits, professional cyclists, who compete in these competitions, receive financial rewards and other prizes for finishing first, second, or third, and some organisers reward the first 10 to 20 cyclists, while others provide stipends, food, and beverages to all cyclists prior to a competition. Others provide cyclists and their teams with jerseys, bicycles, and transportation in order to promote the sport.
Revival
Shaaban Mohammed, General Secretary of the Cycling Federation, and Mohammed Shanoon, President of the Cycling Federation, are gradually revitalised cycling as a sport in order to put Ghana on the international cycling map with little or no funding and no state assistance.
The duo are responsible for the country's continuous growth and development of cycling and paracycling.
However, it was the late Samuel Anim, a hardworking cyclist, who reintroduced the sport to Ghanaians through his outstanding road races and dominance over the short years he lived and breathed the sport before his untimely death.
As a result, the sport has seen significant involvement of young people who have discovered an instinct to subsist on it, including para-cyclists, who have taken up cycling as a vocation to make a living.
Mr Shaaban Mohammed told the Graphic Business that the ultimate purpose of the group was to get cyclists to compete in the three major international cycling contests.
He believes that with the participation of stakeholders, the government, and commercial organisations, Ghana can recruit professional cyclists to gain plaudits for the country, make a living for themselves and their families, and help the economy grow through cycling because “all we need is government support and some sponsorships because talent in the sport abounds here and we just need to hone their skills for them to develop and compete, among their peers around the world,” he explained.
Relief
Since the penchant for enumerating the benefits of any sport in order to legitimise its influence on any country has become a norm, it is, therefore, necessary for our government to invest in the sector to show the world what Ghana has to offer in terms of talents.
Therefore, in the case of cycling, there is the need to focus on the sport because it requires a large number of riders, technical personnel, and administrators, which could create jobs.
It will be a misplaced assertion to claim that this venture will offer job opportunities to the youth while it receives little investment from the government and other business entities.