Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Algassimu Jah has said his ministry was proud with the performance by cyclists in the just concluded Tour de Faso which was staged in Burkina Faso.

The annual tour de Faso which was classified as the Africa tour de France saw Sierra Leonean cyclists making their debut this year and their best ever position in the two weeks competition was 43.

According to the minister, the performance of the cyclists has send signal to the world that Sierra Leone is a cycling nation to reckon with.

He said the performance of the cyclists showed they are in line with the government's new policy to re-brand the country, and stated that his ministry was interested in all sporting disciplines instead of a single sport.

Jah also promised the cyclists that his ministry would play its own role to see that they achieved success in the forthcoming Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS) cycling tour to be hosted in Conakry, Guinea.

Director of Sports, Bai Kabia also hailed the performance of the cyclists, and hope they would return with success from Guinea.

"If you achieve success, you will become a model in the country," Kabia said, adding that the council was ready to work with any association that wants to make progress.