UKHALA ngokuthi kufanele abhekane nazo zonke izindleko ngephakethe lakhe umdlali wakuleli wethenisi yabahamba ngezihlalo (wheelchair tennis), uDonald Ramphadi, odle isicoco seFrench Open.
URamphadi, obebambisene no-Andy Lapthorne waseBritain, bawine isicoco sabesilisa abadlala ngababili esigabeni se-quad. Bashaye uHeath Davidson wase-Australia noRobert Shaw waseCanada ngo 1-6, 6-2, 10-3 kowamanqamu.
Lokhu kumenze waba ngowokuqala wesilisa waseNingizimu Afrika ukuwina isicoco seFrench Open kusukela ngo-1981.
“Amalungiselelo omqhudelwano abemahle kodwa uma ngikhuluma iqiniso, ngike ngakhathazeka ngaphambi komqhudelwano ngenxa yokushoda kwemali ebesiyidinga ukuze sihambe,” kusho uRamphadi ekhuluma neSolezwe eseFrance.
Kulindeleke ukuthi atheleke kuleli namuhla.
“Ngijabulile ngoba sinqobile kodwa ngike ngafikelwa wumunyu ngoba sekunesikhathi ngidlala kahle, ngithola imiphumela emihle kodwa alukho uxhaso engilutholayo. Ngikleliswe kwabahlanu abaphambili emhlabeni esigabeni sami kodwa anginaye ngisho umxhasi wezimpahla zokudlala.
“Akekho umuntu ongisiza ngemali, kumele ngisebenzise imali engiyithola emiqhudelwaneni ngakho kunzima kakhulu. Kwesinye isikhathi ngike ngizizwe ngidikibala kodwa engisondelene nabo bayangikhuthaza, siqhubekele phambili nalokhu esinakho.”
Ngemuva kweFrench Open, uRamphadi udlale kwiFrench Riviera Open edlalelwa edolobheni laseNice. Njengoba ezobuyela ekhaya, uzobe eseqala amalungiselelo ePotchefstroom omunye umqhudelwano omkhulu, iWimbledon Open (England) engoJulayi.
Unethemba lokuthi ukuhlala elinye isonto phesheya kwezilwandle kuzosiza yena noLapthorne ukuthi bajwayelane njengoba bebeqala ngqa ukudlala ndawonye kwiFrench Open.
“Bengiqala ukudlala no-Andy kanti ekuqaleni bekunzima ukuqonda uma ibhola elishiyela mina noma efuna ngilishiyele yena,” uRamphadi uqhube kanje.
“Ukuxhumana kwethu kuye ngokuya kuba ngcono endleleni, saqala sadlala kangcono. Siyethemba ukuthi sizoqhubeka nokuthuthuka futhi sifuna ukuwunqoba nalo mqhudelwano.”
Umqhudelwano weFrench Open uphinde wayihambela kahle iNingizimu Afrika kwi-wheelchair tennis yabesifazane njengoba uKgothatso “KG” Montjane naye ebe ngowokuqala wesifazane wakuleli ukunqoba isicoco seFrench Open kusukela ngo-1981.
Yena nozakwabo, uYui Kamiji waseJapan, bahlule uDiede de Groot waseNetherlands noMaria Moreno wase-Argentina ngo 6-2, 6-3 kowamanqamu.
“U-KG uyisibonelo esihle ngoba akadikibali. Ubelokhu efika kowamanqamu emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu engawini kodwa ekugcineni unqobile,” kusho uRamphadi.
“Sobabili sisuka eLimpopo futhi siyenzele lukhulu iNingizimu Afrika. Ngimjabulele kakhulu futhi ngiyaziqhenya ngaye,” uphethe kanje.