The Technical Director of Nigeria Cycling Federation, NCF, Mohammed Bashir has commended the director of ECOWAS Youth Development Centre, Francis Chuks for helping to transform the sport in the sub-region.

Bashir, who just returned from Burkina Faso where he attended a meeting on the forthcoming ECOWAS Cycling Tour disclosed that Chuks, who is incidentally a Nigerian, is doing so much to help cycling activities in the sub-region, one of which is the cycling tour beginning from Lagos to Abidjan in February next year.

“Francis Chuks is a Nigerian worthy of praise. He has changed the face of cycling in the sub-region. For the first time in the history of cycling, ECOWAS is organizing a championship.

For two years running, he has single handedly made sure Tour de ECOWAS holds. He is behind four countries playing host to the Tour. The race will begin in Lagos, Nigeria, pass through Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana and terminate in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire,” he said.

Bashir said Chuks ensured that ECOWAS took responsibility for the accommodation, feeding and transportation of participating countries in the cycling tour.

“He made it possible for us to participate in the ECOWAS race. Nations taking part in the race are being assisted financially. ECOWAS is going to cater for four cyclists and seven officials from each country. They will pay for their accommodation, feeding and transportation while the countries will pay for additional cyclists and officials. We have never had it so good,” the technical director said.