SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
UMGIJIMI waKwaZulu-Natal uNkosikhona " Caster" Mhlakwana, ofike kwezwakala kwezokugijima, udalula isizathu esenze walaxaza iMaxed Elite, wajoyina iHollywoodbets AC, esiphenduke iMamelodi Sundowns yakulo mdlalo.
UMhlakwana ungomunye wabasubathi bezinga eliphezulu abawu-15, abethulwe ngokusemthethweni yikilabhu emcimbini obuseHollywoodbets Kings Park Athletics Stadium, eThekwini.
Ukusho abambalwa, eqhulwini kukhona intokazi u-Ann Ashworth oyingqwele yeComrades Marathon yango-2018, Prodigal Khumalo othulwe njengokaputeni weqembu likazwelonke lalesi sikhondlakhondla senkampani.
Intokazi uLoveness Madziva waseZimbabwe, onoxhaxha lwezindondo, kuhlanganisa nezimbili zegolide zeTwo Oceans Marathon, Nontokozo Mkhize naye onegolide kwiSoweto Marathon, Mahlomola Sekhonyana ohlonishiwayo kulo mjaho.
Abanye okuqinisekiswe ukuthi bajoyina le kilabhu, nguCollen Mulaudzi owake walala isithathu kumaWorld Student Games, nobemele elakuleli kumaWorld Half Marathon abengo-2020, ePoland.
Omunye okuhlokomise abantu ukwethulwa kwakhe, nguNkosinathi Duma owazakhela igama ngo-2018, ephuma kweyeshumi kwiTwo Oceans nakwiComrades.
UMhlakwana owamangaza iningi ephuma endaweni yesi-11 kwiComrades ekubeni ayeqala ukuyigijimi, uthe isizathi esikhulu kunazo zonke sokujoyina iPurple Family, wukuthi ihlale ibeka phambili injabulo yabagijimi neyomphakathi wakuleli.
" Bewazi ukuthi uma ungaphansi kwale kilabhu uma ukwazile ukuqeda iComrades kukhona obongwa ngakho. Kwamanye amakilabhu bavele bathi siyabonga, kuphele kanjalo. Uyazibonela-ke nawe ukuthi izinyamazane ezifana nathi, zizokwazi ukufeza amaphupho azo ngaphansi kwale kilabhu. Siyawagqugquzela namanye amakilabhu ukuthi enze okufanayo. Indondo iyodwa kayilisi ibhodwa eziko," kubeka uMhlakwana, obuye abe yingqwele yePrince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon.
Uqhube wathi:" Okunye okungichazile ngenkampani yakwaHollywoodbets, jikelele ihlale ibuyisela emphakathini. Njengoba kade kunezimvula ezinzima, iCovid-19 nezinye izingqinamba, yenze omkhulu imsebenzi, isiza abantu bakithi".
UMhlakwana osanda kunqoba iPDAC 25 km, uveze ukuthi ngo-Ephreli 16-17 unikela kwiTwo Oceans Marathon, azobe eqala ukugijima u-56km. Uma eqeda ubuyela kwiComrades, athe kulo nyaka uzimisele ngokulala kwaba yishumi bokuqala.
" Ngiyajabula ngoba usukhona umjaho wokuqala esengiwunqobile ngaphansi kweHollywoodbets. Lokhu ngifuna ukukwenza into yemihla ngemihla. Ngifuna ukwenza izikhathi ezinhle, ngiphinde ngimele izwe lami ngaphansi kwale kilabhu".
Umengameli weHollywoodbets AC, uMorgan Shandu, uthe bayabamukela laba basubathi kwiPurple Family. Bakubheke ngabomvu ukubabona benqoba izindondo".