UMthembu uthi uthele phansi igazi ngokwephula irekhodi
Usokola ngenkece athi incane kakhulu uma kubhekwa neminye imiqhudelwano
Angeke ize izixake ngokufaka umfutho wokujaha irekhodi kuComrades Marathon intandokazi yomsubathi waseBulwer esifundazweni iKwaZulu-Natal uBongmusa Mthembu.
UDavid Gatebe nguyena ophethe irekhodi lokushaya isikhathi esishesha kunazo zonke emlandweni walo mjaho omkhulukazi.
Ngowezi-2016, uGatebe wagila izimanga eshaya intambo ngamahora amahlanu nemizuzu eyishumi nesishiyagalombili (5:18.19) kusukwa eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini.
Irekhodi lihamba nesamba sika-R260 000 kumsubathi ozoliphula. Engxoxweni ekhethekile nelaboHlanga, uMthembu ukubeke kwacaca ukuthi angeke azihluphe ngerekhodi.
“Irekhodi liyinto enhle. Bonke abasubathi bangalithakasela. Uma usuke uhlose ukwephula irekhodi kumele wenze isiqiniseko sokuthi ngosuku lokuqala lokwenza amalungiselelo ulifaka njengengxenye yezinhlelo zakho. Indlela osuke uzihlelela ngayo kumele ihambisane nesifiso sakho sokushaya irekhodi. Irekhodi awulitholi ngomlingo. Inkinga enkulu wukuthi iComrade Marathon Association (CMA) ishintsha njalo amabanga okwenza kubenzima ukuhlelela irekhodi,” kuchaza uMthembu ophume endaweni yesine nyakenye.
Kulo nyaka uzobe egaqele isicoco sakhe sesine seComrades Marathon. Udle umhlanganiso okokuqala ngowezi-2014 (5:28.29) kubhekwe eThekwini. Ukuphindile lokho ngowezi-2017 (5:35.34) kukhushukwa kubhekiswe amabombo eMgungundlovu. UMvelase usivikele ngempumelelo isicoco ngowezi-2018 (5:26.34) kwehliwa.
“Angithandi ukuthi kube sengathi ngijaha imali kodwa umgijimi onjengami ugqugquzelwa yisamba semali esisuke sifakiwe ukukhuthaza abagijimi ukuthi baphule irekhodi. Imali yakhona kumele kube yimali ecacile ngoba nathi ukugijima yindlela esiziphilisa ngayo. Njengamanje ngiyafika lapha eNingizimu Afrika. Ngitheleke izolo. BengiseLesotho naseMafikeng lapho bengenza khona amalungiselelo ami eComrades. Ngisebenzise izindodla ngenza amalungiselelo ngaphinde ngayeka izinto eziningi. Amalungiselelo ami aqale ngoZibandlela nyakenye. Yonke into iyabiza lapha eMzansi. Yingakho nemali esiyithola ngamarekhodi nokuphumelela kuComrades kumele ithi xaxa”.
Umgijimi ozodla ubhedu kwabesilisa nabesimame uzohlomula ngesamba sika-R500 000 bese kuthi abalala endaweni yesibili bakhale bemuke no-R250 000. Abangene kweyesithathu bazothola u-R180 000.
“Hhayi ngoba ngigxeka iComrades. Ngiyazi ukuthi izikhulu zivele ziyithathe lento ziyifake enhliziyweni. Inhloso akukona ukulwa nabaxhasi kodwa wukubeka iqiniso njengoba linjalo. UMengameli we-Athletic South Africa, uMoloi uthule uthini uma ezwa kukhalwa ngemali etholwa abagijimi emijahweni eyahlukene. Mina njengoBongumusa angeke kungisize ukujaha irekhodi ekubeni ngazi kahle ukuthi ngimosha amandla ami,” kulandisa uMthembu.
Uma enqoba mhla zili-11 kwephezulu, uzonyukela endaweni yesibili kubagijima abaphethe izicoco eziningi zeComrades Marathon. Njengamanje uhlezi endaweni yesithathu lapho ebambene khona noStephen Muzhingi, Dave Bagshaw noVladimir Kovot ngezicoco ezintathu.
Umjaho uzobe usukela eCity Hall eMgungundlovu uphelele eKingsmead Cricket Stadium, eThekwini. UMvelase usethubeni lonyukela endaweni yesibili lapho ezobambana khona noRob Alan onezicoco ezine.
“Umqondo wami usendaweni efanele. IComrades Marathon ifuna ube sesimeni esihle ngokomqondo ukuze uzibeke ethubeni lokwenza kahle. Ngonyaka odlule besibuya kuKhuvethe. Lokho kwenze kwabanzima ukulungiselela umjaho odlule. Kulokhu ngizilungiselele kahle. Nemijaho yokuzilungiselela ibithe xaxa,” kusho uMthembu.
Abagijimi baseNingizimu Afrika bayazenzela kulo mjaho kwabesilisa. Sebeyinqobe iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye ilandelana.
“Kuyajabulisa ukubona abagijimi bakuleli benza kahle. Ngicabanga ukuthi ngizoyichaza ngezindlela ezimbili ezahlukene impumelelo yabasubathi bakithi. Okokuqala wukuthi umbango usushube kakhulu uma uqhathanisa neminyaka yangowezi-2006. Ngalezo zikhathi ubungabatholi abagijimi abaneminyaka engaphansi kuka-27 abaningi kulo mjaho. Njengamanje wonke umsubathi usecabanga ngeComrades.
“Yingakho sibona abagijimi bakuleli bekhonya. Lokhu kuhle futhi kubi ngoba kubulala abagijimi abancane abasanethuba lokumela iNingizimu Afrika kumaWorld Championships nakuma-Olumpic Games. Kumele sibonge nabagijimi abafana noMcedisi Mkhize, Ludwick Mamabolo, Gift Kelehe noClaude Moshiywa abavule iminyango belwa nalezi zinsizwa zangaphandle.” kuphetha le nkakha efuna ukubona umgqigqo kubagijimi bakuleli wokuthi baqede bebalwa nabagijimi abathathu bokuqala abashaya intambo iminyaka okungenani emihlanu ilandelana.
Nyakenye lo mjaho omkhulukazi kwabesilisa intambo yashawa uTete Dijana waseNorth West (5:30.38), kwabesifazane kwaba u-Alexandra Morozova waseRussia (6:17.18).
