Uthi akayi ukuyosinisa amahleza eJapan uMaswanganyi
Umsubathi omncane walapha eNingizimu Afrika uPhatutshedzo “Shaun” Maswanganyi uthi akayile ukuyokwandisa isibalo eTokyo, eJapan.
UMaswanganyi ungomunye wabasubathi abangama-21 abazomela iNingizimu Afrika emqhudelwanweni omkhulu i-Olympics ebekumele ube ngonyaka odlule wahlehlela lo nyaka ngenxa yokhuvethe.
Lo msubathi oneminyaka yobudala engama-20 uzomela elakuleli ekugijimeni, ebangeni lama-100m nelama-200m. “Namanje angikholwa ukuthi ngikwazile ukuzibekela indawo eTokyo, eJapan ngemizuzu engama-30 ngokuhlukana. Inhloso yami ku-Olympics ukuvelela, futhi angiziboni njengomsubathi omncane. Ngiya eJapan nginomqondo womnqobi. Ngifuna ukudlulela kowamanqamu ngiphokophele ukuqeda ngibalwa nabaphambili kulo mqhudelwano ozobe ubhekwe izigidi zabantu,” kusho uMaswanganyi ozithemba ngendlela eyisimanga.
UMaswanganyi wazalelwa eGoli kodwa manje uzinze e-USA nalapho enza khona unyaka wesine kwezezimali, e-University of Houston, eTexas, e-US. Impilo yalo mgijimi owazalelwa eSoweto yashintsha yaba ngcono njengoba efika ezandleni zikaCarl Lewis ongumqeqeshi wakhe.
ULewis amagalelo akhe ayaziwa kwezokusubatha njengoba athatha inqwaba yezindondo zegolide ku-Olympics ngeminyaka yangowe-1983 kuya kunyaka we-1994.
UMaswanganyi kuyimanje uneqembu lalapha eNingizimu Afrika, e-University of Pretoria lapho azilungiselela khona yona njalo i-Olympics. “Ubani owayazi ukuthi ngophila impilo yase-USA. Lokhu kungifundisile ukuthi kungenzeka noma yini empilweni, ingakho nginethemba lokuthi ngizokwenza kahle ku-Olympics. Ngixoxile nomqeqeshi wami ukuthi kumele ngibuye ekhaya. Benginethuba lokuzibandakanya neqembu eJapan ngivela e-USA, kodwa ngizitshele ukuthi ngingathanda ukuhamba neqembu, ngisuka lapha eNingizimu Afrika ngiye eJapan” kusho lo msubathi ozifela ngomsubathi waseJamica uJintan Yohake Blake.
UMaswanganyi phambilini wayengumdlali webhola lombhoxo engumdlali wasemuva esikoleni iSt Alban’s College, ePitoli nakhona wayenekhono eliyisimanga kuwona, okuwubufakazi balokho waze wadlalela amaqembu amancane eBlue Blues kwathi sekumele akhethe phakathi kwezokusubatha nombhoxo wakhetha ukusubatha.
Akazisolanga ngesinqumo asithatha ngonyaka wezi-2019 okungesokusubatha washiya phansi umdlalo wombhoxo. Ezokusubatha sezimbeke ebalazwe njengoba eyomela iNingizimu Afrika kumqhudelwano omkhulu kangaka.
Ngonyaka wezi-2019 wagijima emqhudelwanweni obizwa ngokuthi i-African Junior Championship ebangeni lama-100m waphuma endaweni yesibili, ebangeni lama-200m waphuma endaweni yokuqala.
Izikhathi ezimenze wakwazi ukuthi abalwe nabaya eTokyo, ku-100m (10.5) ebangeni lama-200m (20.19). UMaswangayi ebangeni lika-100m uzobe elekelelana no-Akani Simbine kanye noGift Leotlela, kuthi ebangeni lama-200m alekelelane noClarence Munyai kanye no-Anaso Jobodwana.
Selilonke iqembu labagijimi abazomela iNingizimu Afrika ku-Olympics lithakwe kanje:
U-Akani Simbine noGift Leotlela (100m), uClarence Munyai no-Anaso Jobodwana (200m), uShaun Maswangayi (100m/200/m), uWayde van Niekerk, uThapelo Phora noZakithi Nene (400m), uPrecious Mashele (5000m), u-Antonio Alkana noSokwakhana Zazini (400 hurdles), uCheswill Johnson, uRuswahl Samaai (Long Jump), uKyle Blignaut noJason van Rooyen (Shot Up), uRocco van Rooyen (Javelin), uStephen Makoka, uDesmond Mokgobu no-Elroy Gelant (Marathon), uWayne Snyman (20km Race Walk), uMarc Mundel (50km Race Walk), uDominique Scott ozogijima ku-5000m naku-10 000m, uWenda Nel (400m Hurdles), uGerda Steyn no-Irvette va Zyl abazogijima kuMarathon noJone van Dyk weJavelin