By Kelu Musa
Ace cyclists Momoh Isah and Osaretin Godwin have emerged winners of the male and female categories at the 2026 Abuja Bikers’ Race.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the athletes finished first in their respective categories at the fifth edition of the tournament held on Saturday at the Federal Secretariat aisles of the city centre, Abuja.
The thrilling competition attracted cyclists from different parts of Nigeria, as well as cycling enthusiasts who came in their numbers to support their contestants.
Godwin, 18, covered an 80-kilometre course, comprising eight laps of 10 kilometres each, to clinch the female elite title.
In an interview with NAN on the sideline, the teenage athlete said her victory was a result of proper preparation and hard work.
“It was tough, but we thank God for everything. With the help of my teammates and coach, I was able to win this race.
“I’m looking forward to becoming an Olympic champion through hard training and sacrifice,” she said.
Isa claimed the male senior title after completing the 110-kilometre race in two hours and 52 minutes.
He told NAN that the victory had fueled his ambition to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games.
“I feel very excited to be the winner of this race. When you train, you believe in yourself, so you can compete anywhere,” he said.
A teenage athlete Goodluck Ossai won the junior male category of the race, joining Momoh and Osaretin as heroes of this year’s edition of the competition.
According to the organisers, the annual event is held to promote cycling and identify emerging talents capable of representing the country at international competitions.
Habu Abdulrahman-Ago, Vice President, Cycling Federation of Nigeria and Executive Director of Sports at Yobe State Sports Council, said grassroots competitions were vital for discovering future champions.
“Catching them young is the key. By engaging young athletes in this type of competition, you can identify talent and move them to the national team,” he said.
He commended Abuja Bikers for organising the competition, adding that grassroots races provided opportunities to identify promising athletes for national teams.
Also speaking, Marian Oluwapidan, founder of Abuja bikers’race, said the fifth edition was meeting its objective of attracting young people to cycling.
“Cycling is supposed to capture the grassroots, which we are doing. We have a lot of schoolchildren, and the federation is involved in developing them,” she said.
Oluwapidan said cyclists from about eight or nine states had participated, making the competition a platform for young riders to test their abilities against competitors from other parts of the country.
She said the initiative was also promoting a balance between education and sports, with participants expected to maintain good academic performance to remain involved.
Mohammed Bashir, Technical Director of the cycling federation, said its technical support for the competition reflected its commitment to discovering and developing young cyclists.
“This competition is mainly for the youth, to catch them young,” he said.
He called on organisations to partner with the federation to expand cycling development.(NAN)
Edited by Joshua Olomu
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