Mandla Simelane Memorial Race date set
MANZINI – The second edition of the Mandla Simelane Memorial Race will be held in November.
The tentative date for the race is November 29. This was revealed by Mandla Simelane’s daughter Ncobile Simelane yesterday during the launch of the event which was held at The George Hotel.
“We are proud once again to present the second edition of the Mandla Simelane Memorial Race. I hope you recall that we hosted this very edition last year. AS it was mentioned last year, this event will be annual in honour of my father,” she said.
Ncobile said it was the idea of the Eswatini Cycling Association (ECA) that the event be hosted every year. She highlighted how cyclists and different speakers during his memorial last year highlighted how he had helped in the growth of the sport.
“We were looking at hosting the event on November 29, but this is a tentative date we are yet to see and discuss all details regarding the event. What I am certain of is that it will be held in November in Siteki,” she said.
She said they were looking forward to seeing cyclists come in numbers for the event. She went on to thank the association and cyclists and all stakeholders who made last year’s event a success.
She said to further commemorate her father’s great contribution to the sport; the launch was timed to coincide with the 2021 Union Cyclists International World Championship in Flanders, Belgium. The international race began on September 18 and ended on September 26.
Noteworthy is that Simelane spearheaded the Eswatini cyclists’ affiliation to the UCI and initiated their exposure to the world class training in Potchefstroom, which is the continental hub for cycling in Africa.
Meanwhile, the three National Road Champions were yesterday presented with their trophies. These are Muzi Mhlanga, Dinize Wilsch and Makepeace Bailey.