KATHMANDU, AUGUST 3

Two Nepali riders Suraj Rana Magar and Usha Khanal are set to participate in the UCI Cycling World Championships this month in Glasgow, Scotland.

Rana Magar and Khanal were picked up for the inaugural edition of the championships organised by the world cycling body, Union Cycliste Internationale, from the qualifying tournament held in May at Jagdol circuit.

Out of the 13 events included in the World Championships slated for August 3-13, the two Nepali cyclists will participate in the MTB Cross Country category.

'We organsied the selection tournament on May 29 after we received an invitation from UCI for two cyclists and an official,' informed Ranjan Rajbhandari, General Secretary of Nepal Cycling Association, who will be accompanying the cyclists to Scotland. A total of 15 men and two women cyclists took part in the qualifying event.

'This is the first championships organised by the UCI and we are taking part in the world stage for the first time. We believe the participation in the World Championships will help us in opening more avenues for our cyclists in the days to come,' Rajbhandari added. 'As we are participating in the World Championships for the first time, we are looking forward to it with great excitement,' he said.

Nepali cyclists Rana Magar and Khanal will first take part in the heats on August 8. The finals are slated for August 12. 'This will be a great exposure for our riders as they can gain a lot of experience racing with top cyclists of the world. And the experience will definitely help them in the upcoming Asian Games,' Rajbhandari said.

Rana Magar and Khanal are the members of the Nepali cycling squad for the 19th Asian Games to be held later this year in Hangzhou, China.

Khanal had won silver medal in the MTB Cross Country event in the 13th South Asian Games held in Kathmandu in 2019. National Sports Council Member Secretary Tanka Lal Ghising bade farewell to the team on Thursday. The team will depart for Scotland on Sunday.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 4, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.