Intokazi yaseBathenjini ithi ayihlukene nelomnqakiswano
Akazisoli ngokuthatha isinqumo sokuthatha umhlalaphansi uPrecious Mthembu ozakhele udumo eqenjini lesizwe lakuleli lebhola lomnqakiswano, iSpar Proteas.
UMthembu ubeshoda ngemidlalo emithathu ukuze ahlanganise ikhulu lemidlalo eqenjini lesizwe kodwa wakhetha ukuwagaxa emgibeni.
Kwelesizwe udlale imidlalo engama-97. Uqale ukudlala kwelesizwe eneminyaka engama-22 ubudala.
Utshele elaboHlanga ukuthi akazose ahlukana nebhola lomnqakiswano.
“Angihlukene nebhola lomnqakiswano. Ngiyezwa abantu bathi ngiyayeka ukudlala ibhola lomnqakiswano. Yebo, ngiyashiya ekudlaleni kodwa akukho okongihlukanisa nalo mdlalo. Ngilapha engikhona ngenxa yebhola lomnqakiswano. Abazali bami abazange bashayeke ephaketheni ngesikhathi bengifundisa ngoba ibhola lomnqakiswano yilona ebelikhokha imali eningi emfundweni yami. Ibhola lomnqakiswano liyikho konke kimina,” kuchaza uMthembu.
Ngaphandle kokuba yisilomo seProteas, uMthembu unguthisha. Uqale ukufundisa eNanda Seminary wase edlulela eDanville Park Girls School.
“Kukho konke ibhola lomnqakiswano elingenzele kona angeke ngikhalele imidlalo emithathu. Bengingathanda ukudlala imidlalo eyikhulu kodwa ngihlalele ethembeni lokuthi omunye wabadlali engizobacija bazokwazi ukudlala imidlalo eyikhulu eqenjini lesizwe. Ngisithokozele kakhulu isikhathi sami kwelesizwe. Ngaso sonke isikhathi bekuhlale kusho lukhulu kimina ukudlalela izwe lami. Ngicabanga ukuthi isikhathi sami kwelesizwe sesiphelile ngokokudlala. Ukube angizange ngilimale mhlawumbe bengingafinyelela emidlalweni eyikhulu. Ngakho kumele ngihloniphe abadlali abakhona manje. Ngiwumuntu ohloniphayo. Yingakho ngikhethe ukuthatha umhlalaphansi ekudlaleni,” kuqhuba uMthembu.
Le ntokazi eneminyaka engama-37 yaqala ukudlala kuProteas ngowezi-2007 ngesikhathi elakuleli libhekene namaNgisi eBirmingham.
“Njengamanje sengizogxila ekuqeqesheni. Ngikholwa wukuthi kuningi engizokuzuza emkhakheni wokuqeqesha. Ngifuna ukufaka isandla ekuvundululeni amakhono. SineNdebe YoMhlaba yebhola lomnqakiswano eNingizimu Afrika eminyakeni ezayo. KunamaCommonwealth Games asazodlala yiqembu lesizwe. Besingekho isidingo sokuthi ngibe nomona. Ngikwenze cishe konke neqembu lesizwe. Abantu bangayibuka imncane imidlalo emithathu kodwa mikhulu eqenjini lesizwe ngoba kumele uyisebenzele,” kulandisa uMthembu.
Kwelesizwe udlale iNdebe YoMhlaba kabili ngowezi-2011 nangowezi-2015. Ubekhona nakumaCommonwealth Games ngowezi-2014 nangowezi-2018.
“Ngikhulele KwaNyuswa kodwa umama wami ubesebenza KwaNyuswa. Abelungu bakhe ayesebenza kubona bathatha isinqumo sokuthi sizohlala eThekwini. Ngifika eThekwini bekuduma upotiyane ngebhola lomnqakiswano. Mina ngizikhulele emakhaya. Bengazi ezokusubatha. Nganginekhono eliyisimanga kwezokugijima. Ibhola lomnqakiswano ngilifunde sengifika eThekwini. Ngifike ngavuleleka emidlalweni eminingi. Yilapho engabona khona ukuthi izingane ziyancisheka amathuba emakhaya. Ngithuswe wukubona imidlalo efana nethenisi, ezokubhukuda nezokusubatha,” kusho uMthembu.
Akagcinanga nje ngokudlala emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu kodwa unqobe i-African Netball Cup ngowezi-2013 nangowezi-2019.
“Ngisafika eThekwini bengihamba ngedwa kwezokusubatha. Ngiqale ukudlala ibhola lomnqakiswano sengineminyaka eli-11. Bengingazi lutho ngalo mdlalo kodwa ngafunda ngendlela. Ngonyaka wokuqala ngiqalile ukudlala lo mdlalo ngazithola sengibizelwa eqenjini laKwaZulu-Natal. Kwathi sengineminyaka engama-22 ngathola inhlolokhono neqembu lesizwe,” kulandisa uMthembu.
UMaMvelase unqobe izicoco zeDaimond League amahlandla amathathu.
“Ngidlale naseqenjini lesizwe laseNingizimu Afrika kuBasketball. NakuCross Country ngilimelile izwe lami. Ngidlale ezemidlalo ezinhlobonhlobo kodwa uthando lwami luthathwe kakhulu yibhola lomnqakiswano. Ngidlale ngisho ibhola lezinyawo nomkhalambazo ngoba ngikhule nabafana ekhaya. Yingakho kwalula ukungena ebholeni lomnqakiswano,” kucacisa uMthembu.
Phakathi kwamaqembu adlale kuwona singabala iKingdom Stars, Mermaids, eThekwini, iKZN Midlands noMgungundlovu.
“Ukukhuluma iqiniso ngangingakaze ngizibone ngidlalela iqembu lesizwe lebhola lomnqakiswano. Mina nje bengizifunela ukuba yisihlabani sezemidlalo. Ngijabule ukuthi ngidlalele izwe lami isikhathi eside. Phela ngisho ibhanoyi ngaqala ukuligibela ngalo ibhola lomnqakiswano. Ukufunda ezikoleni zabamhlophe kwenzeka ngenxa yawo lo mdlalo.” kuphetha uMthembu.
Njengamanje uMthembu ucija iKZN Kingdom Queens kuTelkom Netball League.
