ISILOMO somdlali we-wheelchair tennis, uLucas Sithole, sizimisele ngokwenza konke okusemandleni ukuzibekisela indawo kwi-Austalian Open ezokuba ngoJanuwari 6-26 eMelbourne.
Akukakapheli sikhathi esingakanani kade kujatshulelwa ukubuya kwakhe nendondo yethusi kumaParalympic Games abeseParis, eFrance. Wayinqoba kwabadlala ngababili ebambisene noDonald Ramphadi waseTzaneen, eLimpopo.
ETurkey uzodlala imiqhudelwano emithathu. Owokuqala uqala namuhla uphele ngoNovemba 29. Owesibili ungoDisemba 1-5, owokugcina ube ngoDisemba 6-9.
Le nsizwa yasoSizweni, eNewcastle, ithe ezilinganisweni zomhlaba kwabadlala ngabodwana ikleliswe endaweni yesi-25, kuthi kwabayibamba ngababili ihlale kweyesi-15.
"Kungiphoqa ukuthi ngisebenze kanzima kule miqhudelwano. Kwi-Australian Open, kwabadlala ngabodwana kudlala abaku-Top 12 ezilinganisweni zomhlaba. Abayibamba ngababili kumele babe kuTop 8. Ngizolwa ngakho konke nakuba kuzobe kunzima," kusho uSithole.
Uveze ukuthi lolu hambo lukhokhelwe yiNyatee Foundation kaDumisani Nyathi. Ngesikhathi eya kumaParalympic iyona eyamkhokhela ezinye izindleko, yamenzela nesiphihli somcimbi wokumvalelisa. Yabuye yamgixabeza ngonyanyavu lwetekisi, iVito Mercedes-Benz. Noma esebuye nondondo yamenzela omunye umcimbi wokumamukela ngakubo eNewcastle.
"Ngibonga kakhulu kwiNyatee Foundation ngakho konke engenzele khona. Ngaphandle kwayo angazi ukuthi ngingaba yini. Namanje iyona ekhokhele konke njengoba ngiya e-Turkey. Njengokujwayelekile ngeke ngiyiphoxe," kuqhuba uSithole.
Uthe uhlobo lwemiqhudelwano azoludlala lubizwa nge-ITF3. Kulwelwa amaphuzu awu-1000. Kwabadlala ngababili uthe uzobambisana noJoa Lucas Takaki waseBrazil. Uma kugcine kumlungele eTurkey kuzoba okwesithathu eya kwi-Australian Open.
Ngo-2014 waphuma kowamanqamu kwabayibamba ngabodwana kwathi ngo-2016 kwabadlala ngababili, wayinqoba. NgoJulayi 25, 1998 waba sengozini yesitimela eyamshiya enqunywe izinyawo nengalo.