Umcintiswano wezikole wavumbulula ikhono losengundabamlonyeni kwezokusubatha
Umsubathi wakuleli uMbuleli Mathanga ongaphansi kwePhantane Athletics Club uthi into ayifunayo kulo nyaka ukuthi amele iNingizimu Afrika kumqhudelwano we-Olympic Games eTokyo, eJapan, ngoNtulikazi nonyaka.
Lo msubathi odabuka KwaZulu-Natal esigodini iMtambanana, eMpangeni, usho lokhu kade ekhuluma nelaboHlanga eNdwedwe ngeledlule. ENdwedwe ilapho iPhantane Athletics Club esizakhele udumo ngokuba nenqwaba yezinqwele emijwaheni ehlonishwayo kuleli, ibivula indlu yokuzivocavoca eyakhelwe ngabakwaHollywoodbets maqede kuyo kwafakwa imishini yokuzivocavoca yesamba sezi-R75 000.
UMathanga akukapheli isikhathi esingakanani efikile eThekwini, kodwa sekukhulunywa ngaye kuwona wonke amakhona ezokusubatha, kukhulunywa ngaye nje ingoba ugila izimanga ebangeni lama-21km, lama-10km, elama-10 000m nelama-500m kuTrack and Field.
“Emqhudelwaneni ozokuba ngoNhlangulana we-African Champs ngizimisele ukuthi ngenze kahle ukuze ngizokwazi ukuthi ngizibekele indawo ku-Olympics. Ngifuna ukuqopha umlando ngibe owokuqala oqhamuka endaweni yasemakhaya ukubuya nendondo ku-Olympics. Lokho kuzokwenzaka uma ngiqhubeka ngokuzimisela nokusebenza kanzima,” kusho uMathanga.
Lo msubathi ofunde eMambuka Primary School naseMningi High School wajoyina iPhantane Athletics Club ngoZibandlela wangonyaka wezi-2018.
Wathi efika wabe edonsa amehlo abantu abaningi ngokuthi anqobe umqhudelwano iTwo Legacy Marathon ngesikhathi esingama-29:52, wakhala wemuka neDr JL Dube Run ngesikhathi esingama-32:14. Yomibili yaba iyibanga lama-10km. Eminye aseke ayinqoba iPDAC 25km Run (01:16:58), i-Illovo Sugar 15km Christmas Challenge (00:47:40), iBMG Stainbank 15km Cup (00:48:30), iThe Mineshaft 15km Run (00:47:17), iSupa Mama Savages 21/10km Challenge (00), iStarling Plumbers 21km (01:08:22), iGaterite Challenge 21km Run (01:12:36).
Yonke le mijaho engenhla wayinqoba enesikhathi nje efikile, emveni kwalokho wanqoba eminingi umfo kaMathanga onesizotha.
Echaza ngokungena kwezokusubatha uthe konke kuqale esafunda eMningi egijima ibanga lama-200m. Uthe ubezigijimela enganakile, konke kuqale ukushintsha efakwa eqenjini elaliyomela isikole emqhudelwaneni weCross Country owawuseRichards Bay ngonyaka wezi-2016. UMathanga uveze ukuthi ilapho aqala khona ukuzibona ukuthi unekhono lokusubatha.
Ngonyaka wezi-2017 unikele eThekwini ukuyobheka amatoho. Uthe kube mnyama engawutholi umsebenzi wase eqoma ukuchitha isithukuthezi ngokuzijimela. Ube esejoyina iNandi Qadi Athletics Club. Ngesikhathi ekule kilabhu uthi ubenganakile ukuthi uSipho Mbanjwa ogijimela iPhantane uyayilandela indlela agijima ngayo.UMbanjwa ube esemuxhumanisa noMdu Khumalo ongumqeqeshi nomnikazi wePhantane.
“Ngifika kule kilabhu ngonyaka wezi-2018 ngoZibandlena ubhuti uMdu ungifundise okuningi ngalo mdlalo. Ngiwayekile amatoho ngase ngigxila ekugijimeni. Ngicabanga ukuthi ikona lokhu okwenza ngishiye kwasani okuphambi kwami, ngoba ngathola umqeqeshi onesineke esikhulu,” kubeka uMathanga ongowesibili ezinganeni eziyisi-6 kwabo.
Uqhube wathi wayengazi ukuthi ukugijima kungabeka isinkwa etafuleni. “Njengoba ekhaya kuyimina obhekile, ukugijima kwenze ngalisusa ikati eziko. Ngathi ekhaya uma ngibatshela ukuthi ngibondla ngemali yokugijima bangangikholwa. Ngibonga kakhulu kubhuti uMdu ngangenzela khona. Ngibonga umndeni wami, umama uSindiswa nobaba uBheki nabafowethu nodadewethu ngokuthi bangeseke kusukela ekuqaleni,” kuqhuba uMathanga.
UMathanga uthe unethemba lokuthi uPaul Mashele ongumpetha weSA half-marathon nompetha we-5000m uzomsiza agijime isikhathi esisheshayo kumqhudelwano ozayo.
“Ngithembele kuMashele ukuthi angicindezele ukuthi ngigijime isikhathi sokuhlunga ngikwazi ukungena kuma-Olympics. Le nsizwa ingumshini, iyahamba ngejubane ukuba seduze kwayo kungikhuthaza kakhulu. Engihlezi ngikufisa noma ngikusebenzela kanzima ukuba semva kwakhe uMashele,” kusho uMathanga.
Ngonyaka wezi-2019 uMathanga lapho wabe eneminyaka yobudala engama-26 ongoti kulo mdlalo bakusho bengangabazi ukuthi eminyakeni embalwa ezayo uzoqopha umlando ngokuba umsubathi wokuqala odabuka ngaphesheya koThukela ukumela iNingizimu Afrika emiqhudelwaneni efana ne-Olympics neCommonwealth Games. Lokhu kubukeka ekhona amathuba ukuthi kungenzeka.
Ukuvulwa kwegumbi elisha lokuzivocavoca lePhantane bekuhanjelwe iNkosi yaseNkumbanyuswa eNdwedwe, uSifiso Ngcobo noLala Cele wakwaHollywoodbets. UKhumalo ekhuluma nelaboHlanga echaza ngokuzinza kwabasubathi bakhe eNdwedwe uthe: “Le ndawo inakho konke okudingwa abagijimi. Inezintaba, amagquma namathafa. Le ndawo iyona mfihlo yethu yokwenza kahle emiqhudelwaneni, kuphinde kwenze nabasubathi baseKenya nase-Ethopia bakhonye emijahweni yomhlaba ukuthi baziqeqesha ezindaweni ezinjena. Okunye okuhle ngeNdwedwe ukuthi iyindawo ethule esemakhaya. Kayikho imikhuba emibi ejwayelekile ezindaweni ezisemadolobheni, egcina isiphazamisa abasubathi. Kulokhu saqala ngonyaka wezi-2014 ukujimela lapha.”
IPhantane ixhaswe uHollywoodbets nje iphinde ixhaswe Umngeni Water-Amanzi, iTotal Sports neBlacktree Property Group.
INkosi uNgcobo yona ithe: “Iqiniso ukuba khona kwePhantane lapha kulethe olukhulu ushintsho ngoba abantu baqhamuka ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene. Ingakho sizinikela ukuthi simulekelele uKhumalo ongumuntu ozothe kakhulu.”