WITH the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, Singapore’s largest cycling event OCBC Cycle is back this year – and with it, the bank’s Teach-a-Child-to Cycle programme as well.

Sporting retailer Decathlon, OCBC’s new partner, will present 20 children from low-income families with their own bicycles and a S$100 voucher to equip them with what they need as cyclists.

The children, aged eight to 12, will receive lessons by professional trainers from the Singapore Cycling Federation and guided by staff volunteers from OCBC Bank and Decathlon. The lessons will be delivered over three sessions, leading up to these children’s participation in OCBC Cycle’s Mighty Savers Kids and Family Ride on May 6, a 5 km ride for those aged five and 12.

Teach-a-Child-to-Cycle is OCBC’s corporate social responsibility programme. It was introduced in 2015, underpinned by the belief that children should not be deprived of the chance to pick up cycling because of their family circumstances.

Kieran O’Shea, marketing leader for Decathlon Singapore, said: “Our purpose every day is to make sports accessible to the many. Through such a project, we are making cycling accessible to children, thus ensuring that the future generation is living through the wonders of sport.”

As for the OCBC Cycle event itself, more than 3,800 people have already registered for the May 6-7 event as of last Wednesday (Mar 1). This is more than half of the targeted 7,000 sign-ups.

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OCBC said this year’s registration rate is 30 per cent faster than the last full-scale event held in 2019, which the bank says is largely attributed to pent-up demand for on-site physical sporting events following several years of pandemic restrictions.

The early bird promotion is currently on until Mar 7. Those who sign up before the cut-off date get up to 23 per cent off the registration fees and a chance to win a luxury foldable bicycle. More information can be found at https://ocbccycle.com/