Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube and Media Mpofu, Zimpapers Sports Hub
BULAWAYO will once again be at the centre of Zimbabwean cycling when the Busters BMX Club hosts the 2025 National Championships on 6 September, at its world class track.
Club chairperson and national selector Jackie Pikoulis, confirmed that the championships would not only decide the country’s top riders but also help select the team for next year’s World Championships and an October meet in South Africa.
“We are hosting the Zimbabwe BMX Nationals next Saturday, the 6th of September. The action starts when the first gate drops at 9am,” said Pikoulis.
She added that Zimbabwe Cycling Federation president Davis Muhambi, would attend as guest of honour and encouraged Bulawayo residents to come out in numbers.
“We welcome members of the public to come and watch the spectacle,” she said.
Pikoulis noted that the riders had been preparing since the start of the year and promised fans an electric day of racing. “The riders have worked hard from the beginning of the year for this special event, so fireworks are expected in this adrenaline pumping sporting code,” she said.
For the country’s elite cyclists, the biggest prize is a spot at the 2026 World Championships in Bris-bane, Australia.
“After this event, we will be selecting our Zimbabwe team for the world championships in Brisbane, Australia in July next year and we are in for a good day of racing,” Pikoulis said.
Jackie Pikoulis the chairperson of the Bulawayo Busters BMX Club
Busters riders will face tough competition from Harare’s two clubs, with about 60 competitors expected
to line up.
The chairperson appealed to sponsors and fans to rally behind the riders, pointing out that sport depends on both.
“We encourage the public to come and see, get behind our teams. Anybody wanting to support and sponsor, we know sport is a tough game and we are always looking for help for our young riders,” she said.
She also highlighted the benefits of regular competition in South Africa. “We do have regional competitions in South Africa, the SA Cup.
We travel down there three times a year and we fly the flag high. The next trip is in October, two months after the nationals, when we go to the final leg of the SA Cup,” said Pikoulis.
Busters have been fine tuning their course in preparation for the nationals.
“We are prepared, we are ready. Our track manager Tatenda Mbalame, has been working on the track for three months and already the track is firm. We are ready to host everybody,” Pikoulis said.
The club will field a particularly young team, with most riders under the age of 12. BMX racing currently thrives in Bulawayo and Harare, although the once active track at the Gweru Agricultural Showground is no longer in use.
