UMENGAMELI we-Athletic South Africa (ASA) u-Aleck Skhosana, ugqugquzele umpetha wama-Olympic ku-400m, uWayde van Niekerk, ukuba abuye ngamandla ngemuva kweminyaka emithathu engabonakali kwezokugijima ngenxa yokulimala.
Kujabule abaningi uVan Niekerk ebuyela esitejini somhlaba emasontweni amathathu edlule, enqoba umqhudelwano. Lo msubathi uphume phambili ku-400m, ngesikhathi esingu-45.58, eGala Dei Castelli eSwitzerland.
Yize lokhu kumthokozisile uSkhosana, lesi sikhulu sithe sisafuna ukuthi lo msubathi abuyele ezingeni lakhe lakudala. UVan Niekerk walimala idolo ngo-2017 okwaphoqa ukuthi ayohlinzwa. Uphuthwe yithuba lokuvikela isicoco somhlaba eDoha, nyakenye.
“Sijabule ukuthi ubuyile futhi ubuye ngamandla. Asifuni ukuthi akhulume nje ngomlomo, thina kwezokugijima sikholelwa ekutheni umuntu akhulunyelwe izenzo zakhe. Bengizomnxenxa ukuthi eyeke ukukhuluma kakhulu kwabezindaba kodwa enze izimanga njengoba simazi. Asikho isidingo sokuthi akhulume kakhulu ngoba usanqobe kuphela umjaho owodwa, akafani no-Akani Simbine osenqobe emihlanu,” kusho uSkhosana.
UVan Niekerk useke wakuveza kwabezindaba ukuthi uma esebuyele ngokugcwele kwifomu yakhe, uzibona egijima isikhathi esingaphansi kuka-43.3 okuyirekhodi lika-400m alenza enqoba kuma-Olympic, eRio de Janeiro, eBrazil ngo-2016.
UVan Niekerk kwakufanele agijime umjaho wakhe wokuqala e-Italy ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule kodwa ukubheduka kwegciwane iCorona kuphoqe ukuthi kuhlehliswe.
“Lesi yisikhathi sokuthi akhumbuze umhlaba ukuthi usebuyile, nguyena ibhoza kulo mdlalo. Kufanele azihluphe ngokubuyisa isikhathi sakhe ajwayele ukusigijima. Nokho kuzothatha isikhathi ngoba ubuya ekulimaleni. Ngifuna agijime edlule abafana baseMelika nabafana baseziqhingini ababhokile kulezi nsuku. Siyakholelwa futhi ekutheni nakanjani, uzokwenza lokhu esikwazi ngaye,” kusho uSkhosana.
Phakathi kokushiwo uVan Niekerk enqoba umjaho wakhe eSwitzerland, ubalule lokhu okuvezwe nguSkhosana, ekhala ngokuthi yize enqobile, isikhathi anqobe ngaso asimjabulisi. Uthe ufisa ukwenza kangcono kakhulu ngokuzayo.