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Overseas-based Guyanese sponsors open Mashramani Cycle race in Berbice
Overseas-based Guyanese former national cycling champion Wilbert Benjamin has again stepped up to assist the cycling fraternity in Guyana and Berbice specifically.
Wilbert Benjamin (left) presents the sponsorship to Coach Randolph Roberts for the Berbice Mash Cycle Race.
Benjamin who has been showing continuous benevolence to his home county has stepped in to sponsor the annual Mashramani cycling event which will be held on Saturday 23rd February. The race which is open to cyclists throughout Guyana is organized by the Flying Ace Cycle club and the 40 miles event will pedal off from Fyrish Village in front of the Benjamin sports store and proceed to No47 village before returning to its place of origin.
The race which was held every year for cyclist in Berbice was in danger of not being held this year after the regular sponsor the Regional Administration did not show any interest in sponsoring the event.
Benjamin has even taken the event further by making it an open affair for all cyclists in Guyana. This is the second event that will be held in Berbice and the second to be sponsored by the former national champion cyclists.
There will be prizes for the first six finishers, the top two juniors and the first two females to cross the finishing line. Prizes will also be available for the top veterans, masters, juveniles, mountain bike and BMX riders taking part while there will also be eight sprint point prizes up for grabs. The Mountain Bike riders will cover 20 miles, the ladies 10 miles and the BMK cyclists 5 miles.
Back home on holiday, Benjamin, a former member of the Flying Aces Cycling club, has from time to time been returning home to sponsor events and assist in other areas. He recently opened a cycle store “Benjamin Sports” in his native Fyrish Village Corentyne home town.
The native of Berbice was a former national cyclist who represented Guyana at both the junior and senior levels including the Pan Am and the Texaco games. In the junior division he was on the bike at Inter Guiana games among other sojourns. He was also a former school and junior champion who won the national school championship on three consecutive occasions. He still rides in his adopted home land of Canada where he also operates sports stores. He along with his older brother Gary, who still rides in the veteran category, made a potent combination for Berbice.
Coordinator and coach of the Flying Ace Cycle Club Randolph Roberts expressed gratitude on behalf of the club and thanked Benjamin for stepping in at late notice to save the day and bring joy for the cyclists. He also wished Benjamin all the success in the future. He continued his call for more business person to take a page out of Benjamin’s book and come forward and assist. He also expressed the hope that other former cyclists, especially those overseas, should also come forward and do something tangible especially to assist the youths.
He also expressed the hope the Regional Administration will make up for this lapse in a tangible way. (Samuel Whyte)
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