SEKUQALA ukucaca ukuthi lizobukeka kanjani iqembu laseNingizimu Afrika elizoya kuma-Olympics azobanjelwa eParis nonyaka, kulandela ukumenyezelwa kohlu lokuqala.
Lokhu kwenziwe yinhlangano eyengamele imidlalo ehlukene kuleli, iSouth African Sports Confederation Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Sascoc), emcimbini obuseGoli, ngoLwesithathu.
Bangu-39 sebebonke asebezibekisele izindawo kule midlalo ezoqala ngoJulayi isongwe ngo-Agasti, okuhlanganisa abadlali nabaqeqeshi bemidlalo ehlukene.
Imidlalo esiqalile ukuhlanganisa amaqembu ezokubhukuda, ezokusubatha, abagwedla izikebhe (canoeing), i-gymnastics, i-climbing, i-surfing ne-wrestling. Kusengenzeka yonke iphinde yengeze amanye amagama kwazise asikapheli isikhathi esinqunyelwe ukuzibekisela indawo.
Kusazomenyezelwa uhlu olugcwele ngasekupheleni kwenyanga ezayo njengoba kunemidlalo yamaqembu okusamele ilethe uhlu lwabadlali ezobasebenzisa, kanti kweminye imidlalo kusaqhubeka imiqhudelwano yokuhlunga.
ISascoc iphinde yadalula imali ezohlonyulwa abadlali nabaqeqeshi abazobuya nezindondo eParis. Kulindelwe okungcono eqenjini lakuleli njengoba labuya nezindondo ezintathu kuma-Olympic adlule ayeseTokyo ngo-2021.
Umbhukudi u-Tatjana Smith (owayengowaka-Schoenmaker) wanqoba indondo yegolide neyesiliva, kwathi uBianca Buitendag wathola eyesiliva kwi-surfing.
Abadlali abazobuya negolide kulo nyaka bazoklonyeliswa ngo-R400 000, umqeqeshi ahlomule ngo-R100 000. Abazothola izindondo zesiliva bazohlomula u-R200 000 kuthi abaqeqeshi babo bathole u-R50 000, abazothola ithusi babongwe ngo-R75 000 no-R25 000.
USmith ubuyile eqenjini elizoya eParis, ehambisana nombhukudi osemnkantshubomvu, uChad Le Clos, ophethe irekhodi lokuba ngumdlali waseNingizimu Afrika onezindondo eziningi kuma-Olympic njengoba esenqobe ezine.
ULe Clos uzobe ehambele ama-Olympic okwesine. Uzongena ohlwini olukhethekile oluhlanganisa uKhotso Mokoena, Ryk Neethling, Hendrik Ramaala, Roland Schoeman, noSunette Viljoen asebemele elakuleli kaningi kule midlalo ebanjwa njalo ngemuva kweminyaka emine.
UMokoena, osengusihlalo wekomiti elibhekelele izimfuno zabadlali ngaphansi kweSascoc, i-Athletes Commission, uhalalisele uLe Clos nabo bonke abasubathi asebewatholile amathikithi abo okuya eParis.
“Iphupho kwakuwukuzibona ngikuma-Olympic, ngangingalindele ukuthi ngingaya ngiphindelela. Uma uhlanganisa iminyaka kukhomba ukuthi usuke uqede iminyaka engu-20 ungomunye wabahamba phambili emdlalweni wakho. Ngakho-ke ngiyaziqhenya ngoChad, kusho lukhulu lokhu azokwenza,” kusho uMokoena.
“Ngiyabahalalisela bonke abakhethiwe, abaqalayo nabaphindayo, ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi bakusebenzele kangakanani ukuba yingxenye yaleli thimba elizoya eParis. Labo abasanethuba lokungena kufanele bangadikibali, baqhubeke nokuzimisela.”
UMokoena, owathola indondo yesiliva kwiLong Jump kuma-Olympic ango-2008, eBeijing, uthe nakuba enethemba lokuthi elakuleli lizobuya nezindondo ezithe xaxa kulokhu, akubheke kakhulu wukuthi ligile izimanga kuma-Olympic azobanjelwa eLos Angeles ngo-2028.
Uhlu lwabagijimi luhlanganise uWayde van Niekerk, owazuza igolide ngo-2016 (400m), u-Akani Simbine (100m) kanye nabasebancane abafana noBenjamin Richardson (200m), Marione Fourie (100mH) nabanye.
“Emidlalweni yokugcina besisangakadluli kahle ekulweni nobhubhane lweCovid, nokuyinto engicabanga ukuthi yaphazamisa wonke umuntu emhlabeni. Sikubheke ngabomvu ukubona ukuthi le midlalo izohamba kanjani. Yize sifuna ukuwina izindondo eziningi kulo nyaka, ngokwami ngicabanga ukuthi ama-Olympic ka-2028 yiwona esizogqama kuwona kakhulu,” kubeka uMokoena.
I-canoeing izomelwa ngabagwedli abane okuyinto emjabulisa kakhulu umengameli weCanoeing South Africa, uKim Pople. Phakathi kwabo kubalwa umakadebona u-Andy Birkett, osezakhele udumo ngokunqoba iDusi Canoe Marathon neminye imincintsiswano.
“Sijabule kakhulu ngeqembu lethu ngoba likhulu kunawo wonke esibe nawo kusukela kuma-Olympic ka-2008. Ngo-2012 sasinabagwedli ababili (uBridgitte Hartley wanqoba ithusi), ngo-2016 sasinoyedwa, kanti eTokyo sasingenaye noyedwa. Kuyasithokozisa ukuba nabesilisa ababili nabesifazane ababili kulokhu,” kusho uPople.
“Okunye esikuthatha njengempumpelelo ukuthi uNkosi Mzolo, okhulele ngaseNagle Dam, naye uzoya kuma-Olympic njengomqeqeshi. Kuyamangaza ngempela uma sibheka lapho siphuma khona nalapho siya khona.”
UMengameli weSascoc, uBarry Hendricks, uhalalisele bonke abadlali asebezibekisele izindawo.
“Ama-Olympic asho lukhulu kunoma yimuphi umdlali osezingeni eliphezulu futhi ukukhethwa kuleli qembu kufanele kuthakaselwe. Kufanele sijabule siphinde silincome izinga lezemidlalo kuleli njengoba sikwazi ukukhipha uhlu olungaka lwabadlali abahamba phambili emidlalweni yabo,” usho kanje esitatimendeni abasithumele.
“Lezi zinsizwa nezintokazi zizoba ngamanxusa aseNingizimu Afrika ngoba ukuba yingxenye yama-Olympic akupheleli enkundleni yezemidlalo kuphela.”
Isikwati esiphelele kulindeleke ukuthi simenyezelwe ngasekupheleni kwenyanga ezayo.
Iqembu lizobe liholwa nguLeon Fleiser, oqokwe njengeChef de Mission. Iphini lakhe kuzoba nguPatience Shikwambana oseke walihola iqembu iminyaka eminingi.
Iqembu lokuqala elizomela iNingizimu Afrika kuma-Olympic:
AQUATICS:
Abesilisa - Pieter Coetze (100m, 200m backstroke), Chad le Clos (100m butterfly), Matthew Sates (100m, 200m butterfly, 200m IM)
Abesifazane - Aimee Canny (200m freestyle), Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke), Erin Gallagher (100m butterfly), Rebecca Meder (200m IM), Tatjana Smith (100m, 200m breaststroke), Julia Vincent (diving, 3m springboard)
ATHLETICS:
Abesilisa - Luxolo Adams (200m), Stephen Mokoka (marathon), Zakhiti Nene (400m), Lythe Pillay (400m), Benjamin Richardson (200m), Akani Simbine (100m), Tshepo Tshite (1500m), Wayde van Niekerk (400m), Jovan van Vuuren (long jump), Adriaan Wildschutt (5000m, 10000m)
Abesifazane - Marione Fourie (100mH), Zeney Geldenhuys (400mH), Rogail Joseph (400mH), Cian Oldknow (marathon), Prudence Sekgodiso (800m), Gerda Steyn (marathon), Irvette van Zyl (marathon)
CANOEING
Abesilisa - Andrew Birkett (kayak sprint), Hamish Lovemore (kayak sprint)
Abesifazane - Tiffany Koch (kayak sprint), Esti Olivier (kayak sprint) |
Umqeqeshi - Nkosi Mzolo
Imenenja - Janet Simpkins
GYMNASTICS
Abesifazane: Caitlin Rooskrantz
Umqeqeshi - Ilse Pelser
SPORT CLIMBING
Abesilisa - Joshua Bruyns (speed climbing), Mel Janse van Rensburg (lead & boulder)
Abesifazane - Aniya Holder (speed climbing), Lauren Mukheibir (lead & boulder)
Umqeqeshi - John-David Muller
Imenenja - Dean Bruyns
SURFING
Abesilisa - Matthew McGillivray, Jordy Smith
Abesifazane - Sarah Ann Baum
Umqeqeshi - Christopher Bond
Iminenja - Rezar De Nicker
WRESTLING
Abesilisa: Nicholas Steyn (92kg)
Umqeqeshi - Jan Roets