BMX racing off to a flying start in L?deritz

The BMX race event, which formed part of the inaugural edition of the Lüderitz Namport Nedbank Powerhouse Challenge on Saturday, was a huge success. Fourteen children attended the training session held on Friday at Aeroplane Beach and competed in four races across various age categories on race day. All participants received medals.Adriano Kotze won the Under-8 age group race, followed by Prins Benjamin in second place and Surprise Neib in third. Javan Kubus clinched the Under-10 race, with Shawn Namene finishing second and Elijah Kroner third. Alex Swartz secured victory in the Under-13 category, with Morgan Swart Gowaseb in second place. Amaria Muranda won the girls' race, followed by Lechandre van Vuuren in second.Vaino Kali, an executive committee member of the Namibia Cycling Federation (NCF), said the event — organised by Powerhouse Cycling Club with Namport and Nedbank Namibia as sponsors — aimed to kickstart the development of BMX racing in the harbour town. “We joined forces with the Crayfish Festival to engage the kids of Lüderitz and expose them to BMX racing. BMX racing is an entry point into cycling. It is a recognised sport in Namibia, but it needs proper exposure in the southern parts of the country. I was surprised by the turnout we had for the first event.”Kali stated that the goal is to establish an NCF-registered cycling club in Lüderitz. “I’m going to assist so that we can elevate the future of BMX in Lüderitz. We want to develop riders and take them to Windhoek at the end of the year, where they’ll compete against other youngsters at the nationals.” The NCF runs a BMX outreach programme in partnership with RMB. “We have various clubs with athletes competing throughout the year, and at the end of the season, they take part in the final leg. All clubs send their best athletes so that we can identify talent in Namibia and support these athletes in reaching the next level,” he added.Children had the chance to familiarise themselves with the concept of BMX racing a day before the main event. Kali demonstrated a few basic techniques to ensure they had enough knowledge to participate. He also used the opportunity to scout for talent. “Many kids here couldn’t even use brakes or pedal properly, and in just a day they gained the confidence to race and started learning how to be competitive,” said Kali.

BMX racing off to a flying start in L?deritz

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-17

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BMX racing off to a flying start in L?deritz

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-17

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