Converting dream into reality
Manama : The eagerly-awaited presentation of Bahrain Merida Cycling Team will take place tomorrow in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee.
The event will be witnessed by a large pool of media personnel representing international and local media outlets, who will have the opportunity to meet the globally-recognised Bahrain Merida Cycling Team cyclists. Moreover, light will be also shed on the team’s 2017 schedule of races, in which Bahrain Merida Cycling Team are participating, in what has been considered as the largest promotional campaign to build awareness of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
For his part, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa asserted that the team is made of an elite group of cyclists, who managed to conquer top races. And in preparation for the presentation of the team, Power Up magazine conducted an in-depth interview with HH Shaikh Nasser to discuss this enormous project. Excerpts:
Q : Can you please give a brief background on how the idea of creating the Bahrain Merida Cycling came about? What is your inspiration behind this idea?
A : I love sports and I have been a sportsman from a very young age. I enjoy endurance sports in particular like endurance horse riding and have been a fan of endurance cycling as well. Following the World Tour is one of my favourite things to do. Being one of Vincenzo Nibali’s fans, when I came to learn that he was participating in Dubai Tour. I invited him to visit Bahrain and had a ride together. We had a great conversation on cycling and of his many achievements in sports. That’s when the idea of creating a cycling team started. All of the sporting activities that myself and my brother Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa do is always in support of the national vision to promote sports and create a healthy lifestyle.
My main goal in sports is for Bahrain as a country to be recognised around the world in sporting activities, to place my country in the sporting map, for Bahraini youth to be in the limelight in future and hopefully to encourage the youth and local community through sports to live a healthy lifestyle. Cycling is just one of the many sports I would like to introduce to Bahrain.
Q : Among the many other sports that you support, what made you decide to put the spotlight on cycling this time around?
A : F1 is great for Bahrain, but it brings publicity to Bahrain only that weekend of the race, with the cycling team it will be different, our team will race the best races in the world and there are over 200 days of racing, so the name of Bahrain will be on everyone’s lips much longer. Also I picked cycling as after the Olympic Games and football World Cup, Tour de France is the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world, so Bahrain and all our sponsors will get great exposure while racing. Aside from endurance horse riding, I have been focusing on triathlon lately which raised my passion in cycling. From having triathlon in the country and with the growing community of triathletes, the next best sport to bring to the country is cycling. Everyone can cycle; it is a fantastic sporting activity that the whole family and community can enjoy.
I hope by establishing the team, we would be able to grow the cycling community in Bahrain and provide them a source of inspiration to continue enjoying and developing the sport in the country. Having a team bearing Bahrain’s name on the international stage raises the profile of my country and the Bahraini athletes.
Q : How big of a role in your overall sports portfolio would this team play? What do you envision to be the future of this team and its role in the local and global cycling arena?
A : I envision the Bahrain Merida Cycling Team to provide a source of inspiration to the Bahraini people and help encourage the community to be active in sports and start living a healthy lifestyle. The team being the first in the Middle East to be granted a UCI license for two years will be the sporting ambassador of Bahrain and the Middle East in the international cycling arena, and hopefully soon to win a Grand Tour race. The team has set plans in developing local cyclists so that one day there will be a Bahraini rider in the team.
Moreover, the team has also plans to organise various local activities in support of local Bahraini athletes. Cycling is the one of the most watched sports that is broadcast live on television all over the world.
Representing Bahrain in a global sporting event will surely place the country in the minds of all the people.
Q : Do you see any specific impact of this initiative in areas such as tourism, culture, the economy or others? What do you see as its value to the promotion of the Bahraini culture?
A : All of the sports activities that we do are raising the profile to generate awareness in sports, showcasing where Bahrain is and what the country can offer. Bahrain is such a small country and many people around the world are not aware where it is located. To be able to promote tourism in Bahrain, there are a myriad things to consider.
Among them is educating the world about Bahrain; its location, our people, our culture and what we can offer. Creating a team bearing Bahrain’s name is one way of raising awareness about Bahrain in the international community and inspire people’s curiosity about the country. We plan to organise cycling activities in future that the local community and athletes around the world can participate in. Such events will bring visitors to Bahrain that will boost tourism and increase the country’s economy. The aim in promoting sports to the Bahraini community is to create a culture of camaraderie, sportsmanship and a healthy lifestyle. I would love to see this vision in full bloom soon.
Q : In the future, many Bahrainis might also be inspired to join the team, what tips can you give the aspirants so they can also be part of this team?
A : It is my dream to have Bahrainis in the team in future; racing for Bahrain and winning the world’s most famous cycling races like the The Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and so on. For all the Bahrainis who wish to be part of the team, the first thing to do is to get on your bike, start cycling, live a healthy lifestyle, follow the team and enjoy cycling. This will hopefully deepen your passion in cycling. If your interest and passion in cycling is there, everything else will follow. The team will be conducting several activities next year, be a part of it and we are certainly looking forward to meet cycling enthusiasts who can be developed as a future endurance cyclist.
Q : Learning how to ride the bicycle has always been used as a metaphor for explaining life and its challenges, what can you say about this sport, why you support it, and why should others take it on?
A : good metaphor for life and overcoming its challenges. One needs good balance to cycle just like in life. Adding healthy lifestyle, enjoying sports that you love will certainly give a better work and life balance to people. I personally love cycling. Other than a sport, it is an activity that everyone can learn easily and enjoy. In the beginning it is a bit difficult to learn how to balance and cycle, but once you’re on the bike, it gives a feeling of accomplishment.
Related Posts