UMPETHA we-ASA Cross Country Championships ebangeni lika-10km, uMbuleli Mathanga, uthi umagange ngokuzibekisela indawo emjahweni weWorld Cross Country Championships ezokuba seBathurst, e-Australia, ngoFebhuwari 8.
Ngeledlule, i-Athletics South Africa (ASA) imemezele iqembu lesikhashana okuzohlungwa kulo abazomela iNingizimu Afrika kumaWorld Cross Country Championships. Leli qembu lakhiwe ngabagijimi abebeyingxenye ye-ASA Cross Country Championships futhi abaphinde bagijima kwiCross Country Trials, okuyimidlalo ebiseNorth West.
Ngokusho kwe-ASA abagijimi abazimisele ngokuzibekisela indawo eqenjini lokugcina eliya kumaWorld Championships kufanele babambe iqhaza kwiBotswana Cross Country Challenge ezokuba ngoJanuwari 28, eGaborone.
I-ASA imemezele abasubathi asebemnkantshubomvu nabasafufusa ukuhlungela lo mqhudelwano wase-Australia. UMathanga osubathela iPhantane Athletics Club uqokelwe kulo mqhudelwano nje, bekufanele abe yingxenye yeqembu lesizwe ngo-2020 kodwa wagcina engakwazanga ngenxa yokudlanga kweCovid-19 eyamisa izinto eziningi emhlabeni.
“Ngijabule futhi ngizimisele kakhulu ngokumela izwe lami kwiCross Country ezingeni lomhlaba wonke, ikakhulukazi njengoba kuyimina umpetha waseNingizimu Afrika kulo mqhudelwano. Lokho kusho lukhulu kimina.
Yize ngazi kamhlophe ukuthi angikabi seqenjini lokugcina elizoyogijima kumaCross Country ezingeni lomhlaba kodwa nginokuzethemba okukhulu nokuzimisela ukuthi nakanjani ngizophumelela kwiBotswana Cross Country Challenge le ezoba ngoJanuwari 28, eBotswana (eGaborone).
Kumanje ngimatasa nokuziqeqesha okusezingeni eliphezulu yize ngibuye ngiphazanyiswe yisimo sezulu esingesihle kulezi zinsuku,” kusho uMathanga oqeqeshwa wuMdu Khumalo ngaphansi kwePhantane Athletics Club.
Yize engayiphumelelanga eminye imijaho uMathanga oya ngokuya ekhombisa ukuba ngumgijimi odlondlobalayo eNingizimu Afrika, ngaphandle kokuba ngumpetha we-ASA Cross Country, uphethe isicoco somjaho we-ASA Senior Track & Field ka-10 000m asinqobe ngo-Ephreli nonyaka, eKapa, nabesesivikela ngempumelelo njengoba ayenqoba lo mjaho nyakenye.