Ama-Olympic alo nyaka abeseParis, eFrance, asefikile adlula, ehamba nenjabulo kanye nosizi alulethe kubadlali nakubalandeli ngokufanayo.
Selokhu yaqala le midlalo ngoJulayi 24 kwaze kwaba wumcimbi wokuyivala ngeSonto eledlule, bekunzima ukuhlangana nomuntu obengasho lutho ngayo. Okumangalisayo ngama-Olympic wukuthi asuke ehlanganise imidlalo edume kakhulu emhlabeni neminye enganakiwe kakhulu, kodwa yonke iyakwazi ukuthatha amehlo nemizwa yabalandeli.
Kulo nyaka iNingizimu Afrika ithumele abasubathi abangu-149 ababambe iqhaza emidlalweni engu-21 kwengu-32 ebidlalwa eParis. Leli bekuyiqembu lesibili ngobukhulu selokhu elakuleli labuyiselwa emidlalweni yamazwe ngamazwe ngo-1991.
Ithimba lakuleli elikhulu kunawo wonke alabangu-177 elaya kuma-Olympic ayeseTokyo ngo-2021.
Kulo nyaka leli qembu libuye nezindondo eziyisithupha, eyodwa yegolide, ezintathhu zesiliva nezimbili zethusi. Lokhu kufana ncamashi nalokho okwazuzwa yileli zwe kuma-Olympic ayese-Athens ngo-2004.
Umbhukudi uTatjana Smith uthole igolide nesiliva, abasubathi besilisa bathola isiliva kwi-4x100m relay, uJo-Ane van Dyk naye wathola isiliva ku-javelin yabesifazane, kwathi iqembu lombhoxo labesilisa le-Sevens nomshovi wamabhayisikili u-Alan Hatherly bathola izindondo zethusi.
Kusukela ngo-1992 iNingizimu Afrika ibuye nezindondo eziningi kuma-Olympic ayeseRio ngo-2016 lapho ithimba lakuleli laqoqa khona ezingu-10. Ezimbili kuzona kwakungezegolide, eziyisithupha kungezesiliva, ezimbili kungezethusi.
Ama-Olympic ayeseLondon ngo-2012 iwona aletha izindondo eziningi zegolide, ezazizine, zihambisana neyodwa yesiliva neyodwa yethusi.
Yize iNingizimu Afrika yenze kangcono kunaseTokyo, lapho ithole khona izindondo ezintathu kuphela, kunomuzwa oqhamuka ezinhlakeni ezehlukene wokuthi izwe belingenza kangcono futhi kufanele nakanjani linyuse izinga kuma-Olympic alandelayo azoba seLos Angeles, e-USA, ngo-2028.
Ngenkathi amukela isihlabani seqembu uSmith esikhumulweni sezindiza ngoLwesibili, uNgqongqoshe wezeMidlalo ubuCiko namaSiko, uGayton McKenzie, uvumile ukuthi izwe lingenza kangcono uma abadlali besekwa ngendlela efanele.
“BengiseParis futhi ngizibonile izinto abadlali bakwamanye amazwe abebenazo. AbaseMelika, eChina nakwamanye amazwe bebenamathimba amakhulu ahlanganise abaqeqeshi, odokotela nabanye ongoti ababheke umdlali ngamunye,” kusho uMcKenzie.
“Ngakho-ke kuyamangalisa okuzuzwe ngabadlali bethu. Siziphinde kabili izindondo esazithola eTokyo. Ngifuna abantu baseNingizimu Afrika bazi ukuthi laba badlali balenzele lukhulu izwe.”
UVan Dyk ungomunye wabadlali abaphumele obala ngezinkinga zezimali abadlali bakuleli ababhekana nazo ukuze bamele izwe kuma-Olympic, uveze kwabezindaba ukuthi abazali bakhe kudingeke ukuthi bafake imali eshisayo ukuze kufezeke iphupho lakhe. Umgijimi uZakithi Nene ophume kweyandulela owamanqamu ku-400m, naye ukhale ngokungaxhaswa ngokwanele njengoba kudingeke ukuthi imali eningi yamalungiselelo iphume ephaketheni lakhe.
UMcKenzie uthembise ukuthi izophela nya indaba yokuthi abadlali baswele imali yokulungiselela ukumela izwe.
“Ngibe nengxoxo ende noVan Dyk, ngamhalalisela ngokuba nesibindi sokubhoboka ngokungahambi kahle ukuze sikwazi ukukulungisa. Abazali babadlali bethu akumele bakhiphe imali emaphaketheni abo ukuze bamele izwe,” usho kanje.
“Azikho izaba, kumele senze kangcono. Sizoyishintsha indlela izinto ezenzeka ngayo kwezemidlalo. Ngeke kwenzeke ngaphansi kweso lethu ukuthi abadlali baswele imali."
Nyakenye ngoMeyi inkampani iBidvest yatshala imali engu-R66 million ohlelweni lweSascoc (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee), olwaziwa nge-Operation Excellence (OPEX). Lolu hlelo olokulekelela abadlali bemikhakha ehlukene abasezingeni eliphezulu abanamathuba okuwina izindondo, ukuthuthukisa abathembisayo, nokumbulula ithalente elisha emazingeni aphansi.
Phezu kwale mizamo, kubukeka sengathi nalaba asebesezingeni eliphezulu basathwala kanzima uma kufanele bahlangabezane nazo zonke izidingo zokungenela imiqhudelwano emikhulu emhlabeni.
Ezokubhukuda zihlezi zinqobela iNingizimu Afrika izindondo kuma-Olympic kodwa umengameli weSwimming SA, u-Alan Fritz, uthe nabo basabhekene nezinselelo ezibavimbayo ekufezeni zonke izinhloso zabo ngalo mdlalo.
“Sijabule ngendlela ababhukudi bethu abenze ngayo eParis kodwa siyavuma futhi ukuthi sisengathuthuka. Okusenza sibe nethemba wukuthi sinababhukudi abaningi abasebancane abakhombise ikhono eParis nabanye asebekhombisile ukuthi bazobe sebekulungele ukuya eLos Angeles ngo-2028,” kusho uFritz.
“Inselelo yethu enkulu ukushoda kwengqalasizinda, okuyinto eyenza singakwazi ukuthola ababhukudi ezindaweni ezehlukene futhi siqinisekise ukuthi baqeqeshwa ngendlela efanele. Kuyasijabulisa nokho ukubona isibalo sababhukudi abamnyama abenyukela ezingeni eliphezulu sikhuphuka.
“Sesivele sinezinhlelo zokwakha isikhungo sokuqeqesha ababhukudi eWestern Cape, nokwakha izinkulisa ezifundazweni eziningi. Sizohlangana noNgqongqoshe maduze futhi siyethemba ukuthi kuningi okuhle okuzophuma kulokho.
“Okugqame kulama-Olympic wukuthi izinto zihlezi zishintsha, kungaba ikwezokubhukuda, ezokusubatha, kwi-basketball neminye imidlalo. Amazwe atshala imali ngendlela efanele yiwona azogcina ethole umvuzo.”
Nakuba imidlalo yaseParis isanda kuphela, uhulumeni, izinhlangano zemidlalo, izinkampani nezinye izinhlaka kabanaso isikhathi esiningi sokuqhamuka nezinhlelo eziqinile zokuqinisekisa ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika yenza kangcono kuma-Olympic alandelayo ngo-2028. Kumele bangasindwa yizinyawo ukuze lifezeke iphupho likaNgqongqoshe uMcKenzie lokuthumela okungenani abadlali abangu-300 eLos Angeles.
ULeon Fleiser, oyiHigh Performance Manager kwiSascoc, ubephethe isikhundla sokuba yiChef De Mission yeqembu lakuleli eParis, okusho ukuthi nguyena obeqinisekisa ukuthi bonke abadlali banakho konke abakudingayo.
Uthe nakuba bejabule ngendlela iqembu elisebenze ngayo eParis kodwa badinga uxhaso oluthe xaxa ukuze lenze kangcono ngo-2028.
“Ukuba konke kuhambe ngendlela bekungenzeka ukuthi sithole izindondo ezingu-12, uma ubheka indlela abakuleli abasebenze ngayo. Sijabule ngezindondo eziyisithupha ngoba sithuthukile kwesakwenza eTokyo. Isikhuthazile futhi nemiphumela yabadlali abasebancane abasenethuba lokunyusa izinga kuma-Olympic alandelayo.
“Ungafisa okungcono kodwa kufanele ukwamukele okutholile, ikakhulukazi uma sibheka ukuthi uxhaso lokulungiselela le midlalo saluthola ngoMeyi nyakekenye. Siyabonga ukuthi iBidvest yaphakama yaxhasa iqembu, kanjalo neMr Price Sports esixhasa ngezimpahla zokugqoka kanye nemali esiyithola kwiNational Lottery Commission.
“Uma sikhuluma iqiniso sisadinga abanye abaxhasi abane noma abahlanu abakhulu ukuze sigxile kakhulu kulokho okumele sikwenze. Uxhaso kumele lube olweminyaka eyisishiyagalombili nangaphezulu ngoba kujwayele ukuthatha leso sikhathi ukwakha abadlali abazowina izindondo, akuthathi iminyaka emine.”