The IJG Trails on Farm Windhoek was a hive of activity on Saturday when about 60 BMX riders descended on the newly laid BMX track for the National BMX Championships.
The track had only recently been built and is the latest addition to Farm Windhoek's wide array of sporting activities, which include running and walking trails as well as mountain bike trails.
Young BMX riders from four BMX clubs in Windhoek, as well as clubs in Omaruru and Gobabis turned up for the event where they displayed some awesome skills, racing downhill at breakneck speed and taking corners and bumps like seasoned pros. There were also several crashes and tears, though, but all in all it was a day to remember for the young riders of this fast developing sport.
"BMX racing has grown a lot in Namibia and we now have 12 BMX centres in nine regions of Namibia. RMB started sponsoring us three years ago and now we are going for our fourth year," the president of the Namibia Cycling Federation, Rolf Adrian said.
"What's important is that we always try to forge a partnership with a local partner who is connected to the community and then we provide some small fees for administration and coaching. The NCF and RMB buy the bikes and provide it to the centres - each centre has received eight bikes for young riders between five and nine years old, while we have also donated some bigger bikes for the older riders," he said.
One of South Africa's top BMX riders, Bryan O' Shea was also present at the National Championships to help coach the young Namibian riders, after being flown in by Mannie's Bike Mecca, who also sponsored a training session on the BMX track the day before the National Championships.
The National Championships completed a busy period for BMX racing in Namibia, following on the heels of the Northern Championships in Tsumeb the previous weekend.
Two new BMX centres at Oshakati and Tsumeb were established this year, who competed with riders from Outapi, Omusati and Rundu at this year's Northern Championships.
Joao Da Costa, the NCF's representative in the north, said the sport was growing fast in northern Namibia.
"We are trying to encourage people to start the sport and the response has been great. In Oshakati we have about 200 riders and in Rundu about 100. In total in the north there are about 600 riders from five clubs," he said.
"BMX racing has become very popular and we can't keep up. Some centres have only started BMX riding this year, but the kids have very impressive skills and they have adapted very easily. Most centres get a small piece of land and we hope to set up BMX tracks there soon," he added.
The results of Saturday's National Championships in Windhoek were as follows:
Boys 16/under:
1 Keanu Engelbrecht (Team Vertigo), 2 Francois Visagie (Team Gobabis), 3 Ercilio dos Santos (Team Vertigo).
Girls 16/under:
1 Josephine Kamati (Team Kayec), 2 Linea Wilhelm (Team Kayec).
Boys 14/under:
1 Jonathan Roux (Team Vertigo), 2 Lameck Ikevali (Team Omaruru), 3 Johannes Swartz (Team PAY).
Girls 14/under:
1 Zuraida Loch (Team Omaruru), 2 Leonie Schneiders (Team Gobabis), 3 Helena Shikongo (Team Gobabis).
Boys 12/under:
Rodger Suren (Team Windhoek), 2 Adrian Engelbrecht (Team Vertigo), 3 Pius Amungulu (Team Gobabis).
Girls 12/under:
1 Alicia Engelbrecht (Team Vertigo), 2 Shalongo Mushishene (Team PAY), 3 Micknan January (Team Gobabis).
Boys 10/under:
1 Morkel Shown (Team PAY), 2 Tulipamwe Hamundjebo (Team PAY), 3 Cuan Ahrens (Team Windhoek).
Girls 10/under:
1 Elma Itope (Team Gobabis), 2 Alrisha McKay (Team Keetmanshoop), 3 Fredrika Shikongo (Team Omaruru).
Boys 8/under:
1 Nathan Schombee (Team Vertigo), 2 Zaayan Agnew (Team Windhoek), 3 Pandulo Shikongo (Team Omaruru).
