XOLILE MPISANE
INTOKAZI yakuleli, uMichaela Whitebooi, enqobe igolide kwi-judo esisindweni sika-48kg, kumaCommonwealth Games, aqhubeka eBirmingham, e-England, ithemba ukuthi ekwenzile kuzovula amehlo ngalo mdlalo kwabebengenalwazi ngawo.
UWhitebooi (26) odabuka eGqeberha, wandise esibalweni sezindondo zeNingizimu Afrika kule midlalo njengoba ngoLwesibili bese sinyukele kwezingu-12.
“Ngithemba ukuthi (lokhu) kuzowuphakamisa umdlalo. Ngicabanga ukuthi sizokwazi ukuthola okunye ukwesekwa okungaphezulu njengoba manje abantu sebezokwazi ukuthi i-judo iyini. Ngiyajabula ukuthi ngikwazi ukuthi ngibe yingxenye yalokho, ukufukula umdlalo nabesifazane kwezemidlalo,” kusho uWhitebooi ethimbeni labezindaba leTeam SA.
Uthe ufundile ekuphoxekeni kuma-Olympic, eTokyo nyakenye lapho aphuma emzuliswaneni wokuqala. Kulokhu uthe amazwi omqeqeshi wakhe, obengekho ngesikhathi elwa, yiwona abelokhu enkeneneza ezindlebeni zakhe. Kuvele ukuthi umqeqeshi wakhe, uNicola Filipov, ubesehhotela njengoba ebenezimpawu ze-covid 19.
“Bekunzima ngoba eNingizimu Afrika asizijwayele izimpi eziningi. Kudingeke ukuthi ngikholelwe kimina bese ngiyalwa njengoba bengazi ukuthi sinomqeqeshi wami siziqeqeshe kanzima kangakanani ekhaya. Noma ubengekho kodwa bengilizwa izwi lakhe likhuluma nami,” kuqhuba uWhitebooi.
Ubonge unina athe umkhulise edonsa kanzima.
“Indlela asebenze ngayo kanzima enakekela umndeni wakhe, ngikholwa wukuthi ukuqina kwakhe ukwesulele nakimina,” kusho yena.
Abanye abathole izindondo ngoLwesibili, wuCaitlin Rooskrantz obe ngowesibili emlandweni owesifazane wakukeli ukuzuza indondo kwi-gymnastics kumaCommonwealth Games, selokhu kwagcina ngoJennifer Khwela ethola isiliva eDelhi ngo-2010.
URooskrantz (20) uchaze amajaji, amnikeze amaphuzu angu-13.433 kuma-Uneven Bars.
Le ntokazi edabuka eGoli, ithe ibinethemba lokuthi ingayinqoba indondo yize ike yaphazanyiswa wukulimala eminyakeni edlule.
“Sengathi ngiyaphupha. Kufezeke iphupho engazibekela lona ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule. Nginika uNkulunkulu lonke udumo,” kusho uRooskrantz kwabeTeam SA.
“Ngibonile ukuthi ngizoncintisana nabantu abasezingeni eliphezulu kodwa angizange ngilingabaze ikhono lami. Bengikholwa wukuthi ngizonqoba futhi nakhu manje sengimi nendondo.”
Umbhukudi uChristiaan Sadie, uphinde wahlabana ngendondo yethusi emjahweni weS7 ka-50m, uCharne Griesel wathola enye kwi-judo.
Umbukudi uPieterCoetzee uthole isiliva, ephuma isibili kwi-backstroke ka-50m no-Erin Gallagher, ophume isibili kwi-100m butterfly yabesifazane.