USEPHENDUKE inyama kwizimenenja zaphesheya kwezilwandle umgijimi waseMpangeni, uMbuleli "Mkhaya" Mathanga, ongumpetha wakuleli ebangeni lika-10 000m.
UMathanga ogijimela iPhantane AC kaMdu Khumalo, ngesonto eledlule umangaze abaningi elala indawo yesithathu emjahweni wase-Italy, iRome Ostia Half Marathon, ngesikhathi esiwu-60:17.
Umphathi wale nsizwa, uKhumalo ubalisele Isolezwe ukuthi uMathanga usefunwa yizimenenja ezintathu zangaphandle. Ezimbili ezase-Italy bese eyodwa kube eyase-United States of America (USA).
Uveze ukuthi laba bachazwe yindlela agijime ngayo eRome. UKhumalo obuye abe wumqeqeshi kaMathanga, uthe okwenza baphithanelwe ngamakhanda ukuthi vele lo mgijimi unayo imenenja asebenzisana nayo yase-Italy. Wayithola ngemuva kokulala indawo yeshumi emjahweni owawusePrague, eCzech Republic.
Lo mqeqeshi uthe nakuba uMathanga enenkontileka yonyaka nayo kodwa kwavunyelwana ngokuthi bangakwazi ukunqamula isivumelwano sokusebenzisana nayo ngezizathu ezithile.
"Siphithanelwe ngamakhanda, lezi zimenenja zibeka into ephathekayo etafuleni. Bathembisa uMathanga izulu nomhlaba uma engase aziqome. Nakuba siconsa amathe kodwa ngicabanga ukuthi kuzomele sithembeke kwiDimadonna (abaphathi asebenzisana nabo base-Italy okwamanje). Kukhona okuhle esikwenzele uMathanga. Sisazohlala phansi sibonisane ukuthi kumele senze kanjani. Ngokubuka izinto, uMathanga ngeke esaphela phesheya. Igama lakhe seliyaziwa nakhona. Ukungapheli kwakhe khona kuzomsiza kakhulu ekutholeni uqeqesho lwezinga eliphezulu,“ kusho uKhumalo.
UKhumalo obezwakala ukuthi uthokozile utshele leli phephandaba ukuthi uMathanga usase-Italy
"Ngemuva kokuthi elale isithathu kwiRome Ostia Half Marathon, iDimadonna isicele ukuthi abuyele eNingizimu Afrika ngoMsombuluku lo esiya kuwona. Imcele ukuthi agijime iVenice Marathon ezogijinywa ngeSonto, khona e-Italy. Lo mjaho ngeke awuqede, uzogijima u-27km noma u-30km. IDimadonna imcele ukuthi asize ekwenzeni izikhathi ezinhle abanye abagijimi bayo abazoba ingxenye yalo mjaho. Ngiyambongela uMathanga, kunjena-ke ukusebenza ngokuzimisela. Ungafunga ukuthi sekuphele iminyama engaphezu kweshumi aqala ukugijima. Ngeke ukholwe uma ngikutshela ukuthi akakahlanganisi nemihlanu.“
IDimadonna iphethe nezindaba zikaKibiwott Kadie waseKenya ophethe irekhodi lomhlaba le-World Half Marathon (57:32). Ulenze ngoDisemba nyakenye kwiValencia Trinidad Alfonso EDF Half Marathon.
UMathanga obuye aphathe irekhodi laKwaZulu-Natal lika-5 000m nelika-10 000m, uthe: "Ngathi ngiyaphupha, imina lo osegijima ko-Italy? Ngibonga umqeqeshi uKhumalo. Ngabe angikho kuleli zinga ngaphandle kwakhe.“