24 Aug 2021

Hard work, determination and commitment has paid off for cycling junior champion, Lebopo Mompe.

The 19-year-old will pursue his studies and cycling career in Australia courtesy of the BNSC Elite Scholarship Fund for this financial year.

Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) secretary general, Tlamelo Dube, applauded the development saying it added to the growth of cycling in the country as well as for Mompe as an individual.

Dube said this would motivate aspiring cyclists to work hard.

Under the fund guidelines, BNSC allocates funding for sport while Department of Tertiary Education Fund (DTEF) covers the athlete’s education.

Dube said BCA only facilitated the request for funding, be it procuring equipment and/or attending races for the athlete.

Mompe, through Tsela Riders Cycling Club, had previously applied for the same fund, but was not successful.

He said Australia was perfect for his cycling career because of the level of competitiveness there.

With his determination to be the best in cycling, Mompe said he would be looking for a team that would help improve his performance to get good results in races once exposed to the Aussie cycling environment.

“Joining a team will be the beginning of something beautiful for me as I will now be riding and working with the professionals,” he said.

He said already riders his age were competing in big races.

On the academics side, the national champion for both mountain bike and road race said he would enrol in business and administration related courses, which he said would prepare him for future endeavours.

Cycling has so far benefited from Elite Scholarship Fund through Dimpho Masi who is based in the United States, Tsaone Latiwa who is in Australia as well as Arnold Kokwane in the United Kingdom. ENDS