UFUNGA uyagomela ngokuthi ngeke ayeke ukudlala i-table tennis yabakhubazekile engakayi kumaParalympic Games, uSithabile Mnyandu waseBhamshela, oqokelwe emunxeni weSports Personality of the Year, kumaKZN Sports Awards.
Lo mcimbi ohlelwa uMnyango wezeMidlalo, uzoba ngoNovemba 2, e-ICC , eThekwini.
USithabile (28) onikwe unombolo 5, uqhathwe no-Eben Etzebeth odlala umbhoxo (1), Nkosingiphile "Prince" Sibisi oyibhokisa (2), Jenet Mbhele ongumsubathi (3) noKeshav Maharaji wekhilikithi (4).
Kuvotwa ngokuthumela umqhafazo obhalwa ukuthi KZN Sports bese ulandelisa ngenombolo yomdlali omvotelayo enombolweni ethi: 33258. Umqhafazo ubiza u-R150. Kuvalwa ngo-11.59 ebusuku ngoNovemba 1.
USithabile washa eneminyaka eyisithupha. Wahlala iminyaka emibili esibhedlela eGreys Hospital, eMgundundlovu. Lokhu kulimala kwamkhubaza nasezandleni. Uthe akuzange kumqede amandla njengoba ngo-2008 athatha isinqumo sokudlala i-table tennis, efunda Ethembeni Special School, e-Inchanga.
Uma ukhuluma naye akasazi nokuthi zingaki izindondo zegolide azinqoba kumaSA Para Table Tennis Champs awaqala ngo-2010.
Akaphoxanga nakulo nyaka njengoba ehlabane ngezintathu zegolide kwabadlala ngabodwana, ngababili nakuma-mixed double kobuseGauteng. Uqale ukumela elakuleli kuma-ITTF African Champs, eMorocco, ngo-2015, efunda u-grade 11, e-Open Air Special School, eGlenwood, eThekwini, wabuya nendondo yethusi.
Useke wanqoba izindondo nasemiqhudelwaneni okubalwa i-IFFT Value Jet Lagos Para Open yaseNigeria, Astana Para Open yaseKazakhstan. Udlale naseBotswana, Lesotho, China naSlovenia.
Maphakathi nonyaka ubekumakhempu abese-England naseSlovenia. Uneziqu zeCriminology and Forensic Studies kanti kuyimanje usebenza enkampanini yabameli, iHSG Attorneys Inc.
Nakuba umnyango ungakamemezeli kodwa uSithabile uthe usanda kwaziswa ukuthi uqokelwe nasemunxeni weSports Women of the Year with Disability abeqokwe kuwo nanyakenye.
"Ngizizwa ngibusisekile ngokuqhudelana nalezi zingqungqulu. Nakuba sisuke sidlala singanake lutho kodwa kuyajabulisa ukubona ukuthi kukhona abantu abayibonayo imisebenzi yethu emihle. Ngizoqhubeka nokuzikhandla. Ngalokhu ngifisa kugqugquzeleke intsha ekhubazekile neyasemakhaya. Noma singanjani isimo kodwa uma uzimisela ayafezeka amaphupho," kubeka le intokazi ezalwa uNtombi Mnyandu.
Ebonga kwabahlale bemeseka uphume iqhubu no-Odwa Ndungane owayedlala umbhoxo, iPing Pong Hub engabxhasi, uMasipala weTheku nakwiSouth African Table Tennis Board (SATTB).
USithabile uthe namanje isebuhlungu inhliziyo ngokuhluleka ukuya kumaParalympic abeseParis, eFrance ngo-Agasti.
Uveze ukuthi lokhu kwadalwa ukulala indawo yesibili kuma-ITTF African Para Table Tennis Championships okwakuhlungwa ngawo e-Egypt nyakenye.
"Kwahamba abaqeda ezindaweni zokuqala. Ngaphatheka kabi ngaze ngakhala. Kuyiphupho lawo wonke umdlali ukuya kuma-Olympic noma amaParalympic. Akusenani, ngeke ngililahle ithemba. Ngazitshela ukuthi ngeke ngiyeke ukudlala ngingakayi khona," kusho uSithabile.