The final qualifiers for the MTN Busoga Cycling Championships concluded with a dominant performance from Butembe Chiefdom’s cyclists, setting the stage for an exciting finale on February 15.
Inspired by former national team cyclist Asuman Egesa, Butembe’s One More Child Cycling Club members secured top spots in both the mountain bike and Tippa bike categories.
The 52km race, flagged off at Gabula Road in Jinja by Busoga Kingdom’s Minister of Sports, Amin Nkono Bbosa, and MTN Uganda’s Head of Sales for the Busoga region, Dennis Harindimana, challenged 14 cyclists with a demanding course through several villages, including Buwenda Budondo, Mutai, Wakitaka, Buwekula, Wanyange, and Wairaka.
The route’s slippery surfaces and sharp corners tested the riders’ skills.
The race’s highlight was the dramatic finish in the mountain bike category, where brothers Michael Lobo and Paul Lumuria, both from the One More Child Cycling Club, battled for the lead.
Lobo ultimately triumphed with a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes, and 28 seconds, attributing his victory to the mentorship of Asuman Egesa.
“My coach Asuman Egesa is my true model. He inspired me and my brother a lot to win this race. Now that I have won today, no one can stop me from winning in the finals,” said Lobo.
Egesa expressed his pride in his protégés’ success, stating, “It’s a joy to see the One More Child Cycling Club pair go through. They’ve worked hard, and this is just the beginning.”
In the Tippa bike category, Dominic Mugoda secured first place with a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 6 seconds. Mugoda, a bicycle mechanic, credited his win to his fitness level.
“I am a bicycle mechanic, so winning this race inspired me a lot. My fitness levels were high, and I believe I can finish in the top five positions in the finals,” he said.
He will be joined in the finals by fellow Butembe cyclist John Bosco Onzima.
Mugoda, eyeing the grand prize of a bodaboda motorcycle sponsored by MTN Uganda, issued a warning to his competitors: “In the first edition, I struggled with bike repairs but still finished fifth. Now, I have a stable bike, and nothing can stop me from winning the top prize.”
At the prize-giving ceremony, Busoga Cycling Association Vice Chairperson Adam Abdallah, also Butembe’s cycling team coach, emphasized the importance of safety, reminding finalists to bring helmets and standardized bicycles.
MTN Uganda’s Dennis Harindimana reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting local initiatives. Busoga Cycling Association Chairperson Wilson Mugoya addressed concerns about potential interference from bodaboda cyclists during the finals, assuring attendees that security measures would be in place.
The Butembe qualifier concluded a two-week campaign that saw 44 riders from ten chiefdoms—Bulamogi, Kigulu, Bugabula, Luuka, Bunhole-Bunhanumba, Bunha, Bukooli, Butembe, Busiki, and Bukono—qualify for the finals.
