Kunzima kwaboHlanga kumaParalympics


Ukuntula uxhaso kwaboHlanga abakhubazekile kubukeka kungenye yezingqinamba
YIZE umkhankaso wokubhekelela aboHlanga ngokumeleleka ngokwesimo sezwe kwezemidlalo kuleli ubukeka unqobeka, lisazokubakhona igebe kulabo abakhubazekile abadlala imidlalo ehlukahlukene (paralympians).
Eqenjini lakuleli labasubathi abangama-45, ebeliye eRio De Janeiro, eBrazil kumaParalympic Games nonyaka, bayi-11 vo aboHlanga abebe yingxenye yalo. Lokhu kuyizinkomba zegebe elikhona kwaboHlanga nabaMhlophe kuleli kule midlalo.
Kuwheelchair tennis yabesifazane bekukhona uKG Montjane, kweyabesilisa kukhona uLucas Sithole. Kurowing yabesifazane bekukhona uSandra Khumalo, kwezokugijima kwabesifazane singabala uZanele Situ kanti kwabesilisa kukhona uNtando Mahlangu, uMpumelelo Mhlongo, uJonathan Ntutu, u-Union Sekailwe noKhothatso Mokone.
Izinhlaka zikaHulumeni ezibhekelele ezemidlalo kuleli zwe sezikwenze iculo ukuthi ezemidlalo kumele ziqale ezikoleni, ukuze kuzovundululwa amakhono. Nakuba etholakala amakhono kwabaphila nokukhubazeka (ezikoleni abafunda kuzona ezihambisana nokukhubazeka kwabo), kubukeka kuwumqansa ukubeka laba badlali ebalazweni ngenxa yezingqinamba ezehlukahlukene.
Unyaka nonyaka izikole zabakhubazekile zikhiqiza abadlali (ikakhulukazi aboHlanga). Kuyaye kube nomqhudelwano omkhulu eKings Park Stadium, eThekwini, osuke uhlelwe uMnyango weZemidlalo nokuNgcebeleka esifundazweni ukubheka amakhono (trials) esifundazweni iKwaZulu-Natal. Lokhu kwenzeka izifundazwe zonke eNingizimu Afrika ezinkundleni ezahlukahlukene.
Ngemuva kwalo mqhudelwano, kukhethwa abazomela izwe kwezemidlalo eyahlukahlukene. ISouth African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), iyaye izibophezele ekulaliseni nasekuthutheni laba basubathi.
Ngokwemithetho nemigomo elandelwayo ukuze umsubathi abonakale kuParalympics, abanjwa njalo emva kweminyaka emine – kumele azimbandakanye nemiqhudelwano emikhulukazi emhlabeni esingathwa unyaka nonyaka emazweni ehlukahlukene emhlabeni jikelele. Eminye yale miqhudelwano amaCommonwealth Games kanjalo nama-SA Champs.
NgokweSASCOC, kulula ukubhekana nezindleko kubasubathi uma behambela imiqhudelwano ebanjelwa eNingizimu Afrika, kwazise akumbi eqolo kangako. Kepha iphuzu elibaluleke kakhulu elokuthi abasubathi kumele baphume baye kwamanye amazwe angaphandle beyoba ingxenye yemiqhudelwano, kwazise iyona ndlela abathola ngayo amaphuzu. La maphuzu atholwa unyaka nonyaka, iwona enza kube lula kubasubathi ukuthi uma sekungamaParalympics bekwazi ukuba sohlwini lwabazomela amazwe abo ngenxa yala maphuzu abebewathola iminyaka emine (njengoba imidlalo yamaParalympics idlalwa emva kweminyaka emine).
Okufike kube buhlungu, bese kwenza ziyime emthumeni kubasubathi boHlanga ukuthi amaphuzu atholakala emiqhudelwaneni engaphakathi eNingizimu Afrika, namaphuzu atholaka emiqhudelwaneni eba ngaphandle kwelakuleli, kawafani.
Amaphuzu atholakala emiqhudelwaneni yokuhamba maningi, abeka umsubathi ethubeni elingcono lokudlala emidlalweni yamaParalympics. Kababaningi-ke aboHlanga abathola ithuba lokuphuma ngaphandle ngenxa yenkece. Amakhono amaningi aboHlanga agcine eduvile enganakiwe ngenxa yokuthi zimba eqolo izindlelo zokuthutha umsubathi ozohambela le miqhudelwano emazweni aphesheya. Igcagcela esokeni kwabamhlophe kwazise imali kayisiyo inkinga nakancane, okwenza igebe liqhubeke nokuvuleka.
Ukulala kwabasubathi emahhotela abizayo, nokuthuthwa ngezindiza okwenziwa iSASCOC, kubukeka kuyize uma aboHlanga bezosala uma sekuyimqhudelwano emikhulu ngenxa yokuntula amaphuzu azobafaka kule miqhudelwano.
Ukufakazisela konke lokhu, IBAYEDE ibe nengxoxo nomsubathi ongathandanga ukudalula igama lakhe ngenxa yokusabela ukujeziswa yizikhulu. Lo msubathi ophila nokukhubazeka ubikele leli phephandaba ngezingqinamba ababhekana nazo. Bantula uxhaso nokwenza kube nzima ukuvela emiqhudelwaneni esezingeni lo mhlaba. Le nziswa iveze ukuthi ibisicabanga nokushiya ukudlala lo mdlalo ngenxa yokunganakwa nokuthathwa kancane kwaboHlanga abadlala le midlalo.
“Kuyadabukisa ukuzimisela ekugcineni utshelwe ukuthi ayikho imali yokukuxhasa ukuze uzobona inqubekela phambili. Ngike ngasikaza nokuyeka ngenxa yokunengeka. Ukulala emahhotela nokuhamba ngebhanoyi akusho lutho kumina. Engikufunayo inqubekela phambili. Isisombululo engisibonayo ukuvala leli gebe ukuthi thina (esho aboHlanga), sizizamale uxhaso ezinkampanini ukuze sizokwazi ukuhambela amazwe, senze amaphuzu afunekayo, nathi sibonakale kule midlalo. Kunginengile ukuthi kulo mkhakha wami (esiwugodlile), akuhambanga noyedwa kithina ukuyomela iNingizimu Afrika, kungiphoxe kakhulu futhi,” kulandisa lo msubathi odonse leli phephandaba ngendlebe ukuthi lingalokothi liveze igama lakhe.
Lokhu kuyizinkomba zokuthi nakuba ukucwaswa sekuya ngokushabalala, kepha izinga lokuphila phakathi kwabamhlophe naboHlanga, ilona eliseyisitha esikhulu kubasubathi boHlanga abaphila nokukhubazeka kuleli.
ITeam SA ibuye ekhaya nezindondo eziyi-17 kuphela eRio (ezegolide eziyi-7, ezesiliva eziyi-6 nezethusi ezine), nakuba iSASCOC yayikubeke kwacaca ukuthi ifuna ezingama-40. Lezi zindondo ezitholwe elakuleli zincane kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nezomqhudelwano ofanayo owawuseLondon ngowezi-2012 lapho khona elakuleli lakhala lemuka nezindondo ezingama-29 okubalwa kuzona ezegolide eziyi-8, ezesiliva eziyi-18 nezethusi eziyi-9.
Ngowezi-2012 elakuleli laliphethe izingwazi ezifana noNatalie Du Toit, owayengumbhukudi osethathe umhlalaphansi, u-Oscar Pistorius, owayengumgijimi oboshelwe elokubulala noSamkelo Radebe owayengumgijimi osethathe umhlalaphansi.
UDu Toit (32), wahlabana ngezindondo ezine eLondon ngowezi-2012. Wathola amagolide amathathu ku-200m SM9 individual medley, ku-100 m S9 butterfly, ku-400 m S9 freestyle nesiliva ku-100 m S9 freestyle. U-Oscar Pestorius (29) wahlabana ngezindondo ezintathu eLondon, ezamagolide ezimbili ku-4 × 100 m relay (classes T42–T46), naku-400 m (class T44) nesesiliva ku-200 m (class T44).
Kwathi uSamkelo Radebe (27) wathola indondo yegolide ku-4 × 100 m relay bebeka irekhodi lomhlaba lama-41.78 seconds. Kucacela ngisho ingane encane ukuthi ukuba bezikhona lezi zihlabani ngabe sikhuluma okunye ngezindondo elakuleli elibuye nazo eRio.
URadebe noDu Toit bathathe umhlalaphansi kule midlalo, bekhala ngokungayenzi inzunzo ezosiza imindeni yabo.