UMQEQESHI wabagijimi nomphathi wePhantane Athletics Club, uMduduzi Khumalo, uthi yize bekuyinto abengayilindele kodwa kusho lukhulu kuyena ukuklonyeliswa ngomklomelo weCoach of the Year.
UKhumalo uhlabane ngomkomelo emcimbini weKZN Sports Awards ngeledlule e-ICC, eThekwini.
Kwenzeka lokhu nje, abagijimi abangaphansi kwekilabhu yakhe iPhantane, babalwa nabanye ababhekiwe namhlanje emjahweni iSanlam Cape Town Marathon, ozoba eKapa.
Phakathi kwabo kubalwa uSboniso Sikhakhane, uBonginkosi Zwane no-Anele Dlamini. Kanti noMbuleli Mathanga ongumpetha we-ASA 10km Cross Country ne-10 000m kwi-ASA Senior Track & Field Championships, nosanda kuzibekisela indawo kwiWorld Athletics Cross Country Championships engonyaka ozayo, e-Australia, ungomunye wabagijimi abaphekwa nguKhumalo, kwiPhantane AC.
Ephawula ngomjaho nabagijimi bakhe abazoyibamba kuwo, uKhumalo uthe: “ICape Town Marathon wumjaho osezingeni lomhlaba nogijinywa ngabasubathi abasezingeni eliphezulu. Okusho ukuthi wumjaho ongelula neze. Kodwa engikufisayo ukubona abagijimi bami benza izinto ezingcono kakhulu.
“USboniso Sikhakhane, uBonginkosi Zwane, u-Anele Dlamini, noNwabisa Mjoli, ngifuna ukubabona beshaya izikhathi ezingcono kakhulu, ikakhulu uSikhakhane owaphuma endaweni yesishiyagalombili emjahweni wangonyaka odlule,” kuchaza uKhumalo.
Ngaphandle kukaSikhakhane abanye abagijimi ababhekiwe kulo mjaho, kubalwa uMokoka ovikela isicoco, uGebru Redahgne wase-Ethiopia, uTemello Ramakongoana, no-Isaac Mpofu waseZimbabwe.
Mayelana nokuklonyeliswa kwakhe uthe: “Ukuklonyeliswa ngomklomelo walolu hlobo wuMnyango wezeMidlalo esifundazweni sakithi, iKwaZulu-Natal kusho lukhulu kimi. Kwesinye isikhathi uyaye wenze into ngothando, ungalindele lutho futhi ungazitsheli ukuthi ngelinye ilanga ungazithola sewuthola umklomelo ngokwenza kwakho.
“Yize bengingalindele ukuklonyeliswa ngomklomelo walolu hlobo kodwa iqiniso wukuthi bakhona abawubonayo umsebenzi wami futhi kuyangikhuthaza kakhulu. Kukhuthaza nabagijimi bami uqobo ukuhlonishwa komqeqeshi wabo ngale ndlela,” kusonga uKhumalo.