SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
ABADLALI bakuleli abanqobe izindondo kumaParalympic Games asongwe ngempelasonto eTokyo eJapan, bazohlumula ngemiklomelo efana ncamashi, neyalabo abathola izindondo kuma-Olympic.
Ekhuluma neSolezwe eseTokyo, uBarry Hendricks, ongumengameli weSouth African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), uthe akazi ukuthi angayichaza kanjani injabulo anayo ngokuzimisela okutshengiswe ngabagijimi bakuleli eTokyo.
Elakuleli linqobe izindondo eziyisikhombisa kumaParalympic. Zibe zine ezegolide, yaba yinye eyesiliva zase zibambili ezethusi. Nakuba sehlile isibalo sezindondo uma kuqhathaniswa nomqhudelwano wango-2016, eRio de Janeiro, eBrazil, kodwa uHendricks uthe baneme ngesibalo ababuye naso.
Iqembu lango-2016, elalakhiwe ngabadlali abawu-47 lanqoba izindondo ezingu-17. Elakulo nyaka belinabadlali abawu-34.
"Imiklomelo ngeke ifane. Izoqala kulabo abanqobe amagolide ize iyoshaya kwabathole ezethusi. Laba abaphule amarekhodi bazophinde bathole eminye imihlomulo. Ngiyaziqhenya ngaleli qembu, litshengise ukulithanda izwe lalo. Kangincomi kuphela abanqobe izindondo, ngiyaziqhenya nangalabo abangatholanga lutho. Nakuba sehlile isibalo sezindondo esizithole kolu nyaka kodwa sisebenze kakhulu. Ukhumbule ukuthi leli qembu belilincane kakhulu kusukela saqala ukungenela amaParalympic. Besidlala izinhlobo zemidlalo eyisikhombisa kuphela," kubeka uHendricks.
Unqabile ukusho ukuthi yimalini abazoyithola. Ngenyanga edlule uNgqongqoshe wezeMidlalo kuleli, uNathi Mthethwa, wamemezela ukuthi kuma-Olympic nakumaParalympic abathole igolide bazohlomula ngoR450 000, umqeqeshi athole uR120 000. Isiliva wathi lihambisana noR220 000 umqeqeshi ahlomule ngoR70 000, bese ithusi kube uR100 000. Umqeqeshi azuze uR30 000. Irekhodi lomhlaba libekelwe uR180 000 kumdlali ngamunye.
UHendricks ubonge umnyango wezeMidlalo kuleli nabakwaLotto ngokwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi abanqobe izindondo bathola imihlomulo.
Kwabanqobe izindondo zegolide nguNtando Mahlangu, othole ezimbili kwi-men's long jump T16 nakwi-men' 200m T61, kube nguNicolas Pieter du Preez (men's road time trial H1) no-Anrune Weyers (women' 400m T47).
Eyesiliva inqotshwe nguLouzanne Coetzee (women's 1500mT12) kwathi ezethusi zanqotshwa nguye futhi uLouzanne (women's marathon T12) noSheryl James (women's 400m T37).
Elakuleli lagcina ukunqoba izindondo eziningi kakhulu ngo-2000, lapho lazuza eziwu-38, eSydney e-Australia.