Felix Sempoma has penned a short-term contract that will see him lead the national cycling team, Team Rwanda, as head coach for the next five months, the Rwanda Cycling Federation (FERWACY) has announced.
The announcement came hours after the tactician, who currently coaches Rubavu-based cycling club Team Benediction Ignite, was again given the task to lead Team Rwanda ahead of the 15th Africa Road Continental Championships slated for March 2-6 in Egypt.
Sempoma has been serving as the deputy coach for Team Rwanda but is reportedly not paid a monthly salary and gets bonuses that depend on the team’s performances.
He took over the caretaker coach role after the departure of former coach Magnell Sterling.
"We gave him a five-month contract due to the available budget which runs until July,” said FERWACY President Abdallah Murenzi.
The contract, which expires in June, means Sempoma will lead both the senior and U-23 national teams during the upcoming cycling tournaments.
The 49-year-old has a good record of performing well away from home while at the helm of Team Rwanda when riders won various African races such as the 2018 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, the 2018 Tour du Cameroon 2018, last year’s Tour du Senegal, and the recently concluded Grand Prix Chantal Biya 2020 in Cameroon.
Africa Road Continental Championships in Egypt is his next target before he becomes the first coach to coach Rwanda in the Tour du Rwanda since it was upgraded to the UCI 2.1 race.
"We hope he prepares the team well because we need them to give Rwandans the happy moments that they last witnessed when the tournament was under the UCI 2.2 race,” Murenzi said.
Sempomba is, however, not seen as the long-term option for both FERWACY as the national cycling team’s head coach and Murenzi revealed that the federation continues talks with the Ministry of Sports to find the long-term coaching option for the national team.
"We wanted to appoint a high-profile head coach holding a UCI coaching license so he can help our homegrown coaches to improve their coaching level. We are still in talks with the Ministry on the appointment process,” he said.