The Ghana Cycling Federation has received three road bicycles from UK-based charity Re-Cycle, in a donation facilitated by the Village Bicycle Project (VBP) Ghana.
The bicycles were handed over on Tuesday at Sowutuom as part of an ongoing partnership between Re-Cycle and VBP aimed at promoting cycling and supporting grassroots development in Ghana.
Dr Ebenezer Somiah, Country Director of VBP Ghana, said the donation builds on the organisations’ work of providing bicycles to schoolchildren, health workers and farmers in rural communities.
He described the Cycling Federation as a fitting recipient of the latest consignment as it continues efforts to develop the sport across the country.
Re-Cycle Executive Director Charlotte Ward and the charity’s warehouse manager, Mark, travelled from the United Kingdom for the handover.
Ward said the organisation hoped the donation would particularly benefit women and girls involved in cycling.
“We hope that this donation of three road bikes will help, especially for the girls and the women that are part of this project,” she said.
She added that Re-Cycle’s support was part of its continuing efforts to promote cycling in Ghana “from the grassroots up.”
John Nartey, Acting Deputy for the National Recreation Awareness Programme, also welcomed the initiative, linking cycling to the government programme’s efforts to encourage regular physical activity.
He highlighted cycling’s potential benefits for cardiovascular health, muscle and bone conditioning and mental wellbeing, while also pointing to its contribution to reducing carbon emissions.
For the Ghana Cycling Federation, the donation comes at an important time, with the national team scheduled to travel to Burkina Faso next month for the Tour du Faso.
Federation Secretary General Shaaban Mohamed said the donated bicycles would be put to use during the tour.
He also disclosed that one of the bicycles is expected to support the federation’s women’s cycling initiative in the Upper East Region, where VBP has previously distributed bicycles to schoolchildren through its school cycling project.
Mohamed said the federation would brief the Minister for Sports and Recreation about the donation and advocate for duty exemptions on future consignments of bicycles and cycling equipment intended to support rural communities, farmers, health workers and athletes.
He thanked Re-Cycle for fulfilling an earlier commitment to support Ghanaian cycling and also expressed appreciation to VBP Ghana and the media for their continued support of the sport.
