SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
UQOPHE umlando uMbuleli "Mkhaya" Mathanga waseMpangeni, enqobela iKwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) okokuqala indondo yegolide ku-10 000m, koweSizwe Medical Fund ASA Senior Track and Field +Combined Events & 20km Championships ePitoli.
UMathanga oqeqeshwa wuMdu Khumalo kwiPhantane AC, ushaye intambo ngesikhathi esiwu-29:23.74. Owesibili kube wuzakwabo kwiPhantane AC, u-Adam Lipchitz ngesiwu-29:30.40.
Kungokokuqala emlandweni walo mqhudelwano ukuthi iKZNA ihlabane ngendodo yegolide neyesiliva kuleli banga. UNdumiso Sokhela wayo iKZNA akalibonanga elidlalayo njengoba egcine kunombolo-12 ngo-30:43.20.
UMathanga usanda kwephula irekhodi laKwaZulu-Natal kuleli banga kumaKZN Track & Field Championship ngesikhathi esiwu-28:03.45. Uphinde abe umpetha kwelika-500m kulesi sifundazwe. Umqeqeshi wakhe uKhumalo uthe ukunqoba komsubathi wakhe ePitoli, kakuhlangani nezinhlelo zabo zokuya kuma-Olympic Games aseTokyo, eJapan ngoJulayi.
"Ngiyabezwa abantu bethi uMathanga usengenile kuma-Olympic. Yiphutha lelo, sisazomfunela imijaho azohlunga ngayo. Kasenzeki isikhathi esihle endaweni ephezule njengePitoli. Indawo enhle ngegudle ulwandle,“ kubeka uKhumalo obongele kakhulu noLipchitz.
Isikhathi esibekelwe ukungena kuma-Olympic ku-10 000m u-27.28.00. Kwabanye abagijimi beKZNA, uZakithi Nene wenze njengoba bekulindelekile ku-heat 1 we-400m elala endawo yokuqala ngo-46.06.
Omunye owenze kahle ku-heat 1 kwabesifazane, yintokazi uKirsten Ahrens eshaye intambo ngo-54:62. Ku-heat 3 uzakwabo u-Amy Naude, uphume isithathu ngo-54.11.
Imijaho yamanqamu ka-400m ikusasa kusukela ngo-4.30 ntambama. Kwabesilisa ku-heat 1 ku-100m, uMark Gains ugcine ephume isine ngo-10.58. Ku-1500m uMthokozisi Mazibuko uhluleke wancama elala kweyesithupha ku-heat 1 ngo-4:01.11.
Omunye umjaho ububhekiwe osukwini lwayizolo u-5000m wabesifazane ogcine unqotshwe uCaster Semenya ngo-15:52.28. Uhlule uzakwabo oyindlovukazi kuleli banga kuleli, uGlenrose Xaba olale isibili eqopha u-15:55.25. Intokazi yaseKZN uThobile Mkhize, ilale kweyokugcina ngesiwu-17:50.28.
Ngemuva kokunqoba uSemenya uveze ukuthi akakubekile ekhanda ukufakwa esikwatini esiya kuma-Olympic Games, okumjabulisayo ukuqhubeka nokwenza kahle ku-5000M. USemenya ngeke akwazi ukuyovikela isicoco sakhe sika-800m ngenxa yomthetho weWorld Athletics omvimbela ukuthi agijime kuleli banga.
"Kufana nokugembula ukuthi ngingazitshela ukuthi ngizoya eTokyo. Ngisadinga ukwenza izikhathi ezinhle ku-10 000m. Kangilona lolu hlobo oluthatha indlela enqamulelayo. Okubalulekile kumina ukuba ngcono nokuphila kahle emzembeni. Ngibonga ukuba nomuntu ofana noGlenrose eduze kwami. Kakupheli ngami, ngisaya kude kulo mdlalo,“ kusho uSemenya.