THE cycling association of Tanzania (Chabata) says the government’s decision to halt the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) elective meeting, which was slated for next month in Morogoro, has jeopardized the national cycling team’s trip to Rwanda for the International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships.

Chabata President Geoffrey Mwagama said yesterday that TOC had committed to funding the team’s participation at the event, scheduled for September 21–28 in Kigali. The team, comprising eight cyclists and four officials, was expected to depart on Monday.

“We wrote to TOC requesting support for our eight cyclists and four officials, and the Committee agreed to source 80 percent of the funds from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). But now that the government has halted TOC elections, we are uncertain whether the Committee will continue its operations,” said Mwagama.

He added that Chabata has intensified efforts to secure new sponsors to ensure the team’s participation.

This is the second time TOC elections have been halted. The initial polls, planned for December last year in Dodoma, were stopped. On Tuesday, the government again suspended the elections scheduled for October 4 in Morogoro, citing violations of sports laws and regulations.

The October elections had been sanctioned by the IOC, which insisted the long-delayed polls be held without further postponement. 

Meanwhile, Mwagama confirmed that, prior to the funding setback, preparations for Rwanda were progressing well. All eight cyclists were set to compete in the Individual Time Trial (ITT), a road race in which each rider competes alone against the clock.

Tanzania’s representatives include six elite riders - Boniface Ngwala, Hassan Sharif, Joseph Hamis, Waziri Mdudu, Jamila Abdullah, and Esther Morris - and two juniors, Ahmed Saleh and Said Malale. 

The delegation also features team mechanic Abdallah Khatib, head coach Hussen Ally, Chabata secretary general Mussa Juma, and Mwagama as team leader.

The cyclists were selected during a qualifying event held late last month at Coco Beach in Dar es Salaam. 

“The team is currently undergoing intensive training in different locations. Three are in Dar es Salaam, two in Arusha, two in Rwanda, and one in Kenya. We are confident they will do well in Kigali,” Mwagama said.

He also thanked the National Sports Council (NSC) for its support, noting that ahead of the championships, the UCI will host a conference on September 24.

This year’s edition will mark the first time the UCI Road World Championships are staged in Africa. Rwanda was chosen for its strong record in hosting major cycling events, including the annual Tour du Rwanda.

“This country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa will now welcome Junior, Under-23, and Elite athletes competing for the prestigious rainbow jersey. It isn’t for nothing that Rwanda is nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand hills,’ and for many riders, it will be their first experience on such challenging terrain,” UCI stated on its website.

The cycling body added that the championships present a unique opportunity for young African riders to shine on the global stage and demonstrate the continent’s growing presence in the sport.