UKUQONDA kahle umgijimi okhubazekile waseThekwini, uMpumelelo Mhlongo ukuthi ukunikwa igunya lokuphatha ifulegi lakuleli emcimbini wokuvula amaParalympic Games kuhambisana nenselelo yokunqoba izindondo.
UMhlongo (30) ekhuluma neSolezwe eseMontpellier, eFrance, uveze ukuthi kwaqala kwangathi uyaphupha ngesikhathi ezwa ukuthi ungomunye wabazophatha ifulegi emcimbini wokuvula wango-Agasti 28, eParis, eFrance. Uzoliphatha nentokazi, uKatherine "Kat" Swanepoel engumbukudi.
Uthe nakuba engaqali ukwehlelwa yile nhlanhla kodwa okwamenza wadunyelwa ikhanda ukuthi wayengasilindele lesi simemezelo kwazise ukholelwa ekutheni baningi abebengakhethwa.
Waqala ukuphatha ifulegi kumaPara Athletics World Championships ayengo-2023, khona eParis. Kulowo mqhudelwano wanqoba indondo yegolide kwiT44 100m.
Uthe nakumaParalympic kulo nyaka uzoqhubeka nokuqhudelana nabanye kwiT44 100m, 200m nakwi-long jump.
"Ngathuka kufanele, ukunikwa ifulegi lakuleli akuyona into encane. Kufike emqondweni wami ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukuthi ngikhethwe ngoba kukhona okuhle engikwenzayo. Lokhu kuqokwa ngikuhumushe ngokuthi ngingomunye okubhekwe ukuthi enze kahle kumaParalympic. Nakuba ngake nganikwa ifulegi kumaPara Athletics Championships, ngo-2023 kodwa amaParalympic akawona noma imuphi umqhudelwano. Ngethemba ukuthi intsha yakithi emnyama, KwaZulu-Natal naseNingizimu Afrika yonkana izogqugquzeleka ngokuqokwa kwami," kubeka uMhlongo, wasesiGodini, eKlaarwater, eThekwini. Kuzoba ngokwesithathu emela elakuleli kumaParalyompic.
Waqala ngayeseRio de Janeiro ngo-2016 nakwayeseTokyo, eJapan, ngo-2021.
UMhlongo uthe nakumaParalympic ufisa uqhubeke umlilo anawo selokhu kuqale unyaka.
NgoMeyi uklonyeliswe ngendondo yeSportsman of the Year with Disability emcimbini wamaSA Sports Awards.
Enyangeni efanayo utshengisile ukuthi lo mklomelo uwuthole kufanele enqoba indondo yegolide kwiT44 100m kuwo amaPara Athletics Championships, ayeseJapan.
"Engikufisa kakhulu ukuthi ungangiphoxi umzimba ngezinsuku engizodlala ngazo. Impumelelo enkulu ukuthola ithuba lokumela izwe lakho. Le nhlanhla yenza ubone ukubaluleka kokujabulisa abantu bezwe lakho. Okubalulekile ukujabulela ukuba ingxenye yalo mqhudelwano. Okunye kuzozenzekela."
Lo msubathi ubonge inkampani yakwaBIC ngokumxhasa.
"Isifiso sami ukubona sanda isibalo sabafana nami abathola abaxhasi. Lokhu kungenza omkhulu umehluko emindenini eminingi. Ngibonga kakhulu kwabakwaBIC ngokukholelwa kimi," kusho uMhlongo oshadelwe intokazi yasePortugal.
Abadlali abazothola igolide bazohlomula ngo-R400 000 (R100 000 kumqeqeshi), kube u-R200 000 ngesiliva (R50 000 womqeqeshi), u-R75 000 ngethusi (R25 000 womqeqeshi).
Isikwati sakuleli samaParalympics:
Archery yabesilisa: Shaun Anderson.
Abagijimi abeselisa: Mpumelelo Mhlongo (T44 100m,long jump), Kerwin Noemdo (F46 shot put), Puseletso Mabote (T63 100m, long jump), Collen Mahlalela (T47 400m), Khumo Pitso (T46 high jump), Jaco Smit (T12 100m), Daniel du Plessis (T62 400m), Hermanus Blom (F12 shot put), Erasmus Badenhorst (umsizi wabangaboni, 1500m), Claus Kempen (umsizi wabangaboni, marathon) noPaul Daniels (T22 400m).
Abasefazane: Simone Kruger (T38 discus), Sheryl James (T37 100m, 200m, 400m), Louzanne Coetzee (T11 1500m, marathon), Liezel Gouws (T37 400m, long jump), Yane van der Merwe (F44 discus) noTezna Abrahams (T44 long jump, 200m).
Boccia yabesilisa: Karabo Cassius Morapedi (BC3) and Matobako Vincent Ramochela (BC3 ramp operator).
Yabesifazane: Elanza Jordaan (BC3) and Sandre Jordaan (BC3 ramp operator).
Amabhayisikili abesilisa: Pieter du Preez.
Equestrian yabesifazane: Philippa Johnson-Dwyer noChristiaan Haazen.
Judo yabesilisa: Ndyeni Lamani (J1, under 73kg).
Para-Triathlon yabesifazane: Kirsty Weir.
Ababhukudi besilisa: Nathan Hendricks (S13 200m individual medley, 100m backstroke, SB13 100m breaststroke) noChristian Sadie (S7 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 50m freestyle, SM7 200m individual medley).
Abesifazane: Alani Ferreira (S12 400m freestyle, SB12 100m breaststroke, SM12 200m Individual Medley, S12-S13 100m butterfly), Danika Vyncke (SB13 100m breaststroke) noKat Swanepoel (SM5 200m Individual Medley, S5 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, SB4 100m breaststroke, S14 400m freestyle).
Wheelchair Tennis yabesilisa: Alwande Sikhosana, Donald Ramphadi noLucas Sithole.
Abesifazane: Kgothatso Montjane noMariska Venter.