By Michelangelo Jacobus

STARTING out in 2010 on the cycling scene at just 14 years old, as a BMX rider, Hamzah Eastman has now become a household name for cycling fans and enthusiasts in Guyana.
He has been consistently in the top bracket of cyclists in Guyana since 2014 and in a recent interview with Chronicle Sport, the now 22-year-old revealed that he has big plans for 2018.
The Team Coco’s rider’s first club was the Flying Stars Cycling Club. However, since moving on from the latter in 2015, Eastman has gained more experience and has a firm vision of where he wants to be in the cycling world.
“This year I’m working on developing my technique, I will use my experience gained on the international circuit to try to work on my cycling game. Instead of sitting back with the pack, like normal, I want to be able to take a race by the neck and take the attack to my competitors,” Eastman revealed.
Having recently won the 12th Annual Diamond Mineral Water meet at the National Park in dominant fashion last Saturday, Eastman said that it was his first race and as such he used it as a sort of fitness test to see just how his body would respond.
“It was great, I didn’t expect to win by such a large margin, I set out to lap the field but I wasn’t expecting such a big gap so early, I’m feeling great fitness-wise and I’m going to try to maintain it.”

INTERNATIONAL ASPIRATIONS
Meanwhile with cycling left out in the cold from Guyana’s contingent to the Commonwealth Games next month in Australia on the Gold Coast, Eastman spoke of feeling as though his spirit was broken.
“I mean I took an early off-season last year just so I could prepare for the Commonwealth Games only to hear that the authorities say that because they’re not sure if we (cyclists) could complete the race we can’t go; it almost broke my spirit, what sense does that make?”
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old said that he will continue to train hard and work on himself as a cyclist. He has his eyes set on racing in the Caribbean and the USA, competing on the local scene as well. However, the challenge often faced by cyclists in Guyana has reared its ugly head.
Eastman revealed that while his international aspirations are there, he would need a sponsor to assist, as it would be a very tough task for him to personally foot all the expenses involved in travelling to compete.
“All I want to do is do well for my country and with the right support system I will put Guyana on the international cycling map. That’s my deepest desire – to do my country and myself proud.”