OYIPHINI likamengameli weKwaZulu-Natal Karate Federation, uShihan Bongani Gumede, ukholwa wukuthi ukusungulwa kweligi ye-karate kungaba yisisombululo ekufukuleni umdlalo futhi kushintshe nezimpilo zabadlali bawo njengakwezinye izinhlobo zemidlalo.
UGumede osekomitini likazwelonke leKarate South Africa (KSA) eyengamele umdlalo we-karate kuleli, uqhamuke nohlelo olungakaze lubonwe phambilini kuleli lwe-ligi ye-karate. Kuzoqhudelana amaqembu e-full contact (uqina thambo) ezokwaziwa ngeMeichi Karate Premiership, ezodlalelwa ngamaqembu ehlukene abadlali ngokohlelo lwamaphuzu, njengoba kwenzeka ebholeni lezinyawo.
Iligi izoqala ngamaqembu ayisithupha ngo-Ephreli nonyaka. UGumede ukuqinisekisile ukuthi uyethulile ngeledlule ebuholini be-KSA, engqungqutheleni eBloemfontein, eFree State. Uyethule nakwiKZN Sports Confederation eyengamele zonke izinhlobo zemidlalo esifundazweni.
“Nakuba inhloso enkulu kuwukuthi iligi igcine idlalwa ezingeni likazwelonke kodwa okwamanje siyiqala lapha KwaZulu-Natal, ngamaqembu ayisithupha azomela izifunda eziyisithupha. Yizona esisakhethe ukusebenzisana nazo ngoba kusekhona ezinye izinhlangano ze-karate ezingakafuni ukungena ngaphansi kwe-KSA,” kuchaza uGumede, ohola isigungu samalungu ayisithupha asungule le ligi yomkhalambazo.
“Noma singakabi nabo abaxhasi abenele kodwa siyaqala ngo-Ephreli, ngemidlalo esihlela ukuthi iqale eNewcastle, esifundeni saseMajuba.
“Umlenze wokuqala ungo-Ephreli, owesibili ungoJuni, owesithathu ungo-Agasti, inhloso kuwukuthi kudlalwe ngokohlelo lwamaphuzu njengoba kwenzeka kweminye imidlalo enjengebhola lezinyawo, i-netball, neminye.
“Inhloso enkulu wukuthi amaqembu agcine ewu-12. Kodwa kulawa ayisithupha azodlala, elizonqoba lizothola indebe nesheke lemali, namanye athole ngokwezindawo azoqeda kuzo kwi-log. Mina nesigungu sami sisephansi phezulu sinxenxa abaxhasi.”
Ngokusho kukaGumede, inhloso enkulu ngeligi ukuthatha umdlalo womkhalambazo ufinyelele kwelinye izinga, abadlali bawo bahlomule njengoba kwenzeka kwezinye izinhlobo zemidlalo. Amaqembu ajoyina le ligi kufanele kube ngabhalise ngaphansi kwe-KSA.
Amaqembu ayisithupha aseqinisekisiwe ukuzobamba iqhaza kule ligi, yi-Eagle Eye (Amajuba), Tigers (King Cetshwayo), Big Elephant (uMgungundlovu), Gudumane (uMzinyathi), Bhejane (uThukela), uMshiza (Mkhanyakude).