UKhwela ubona sekukhanya kubagwedli abansundu ngeDusi

OYINSEPHE yomgwedli, uSbonelo Khwela, ukholwa wukuthi sekuseduze onsundu aqophe umlando wokunqoba iDusi Canoe Marathon ngenxa yezinga elikhonjiswa ngabasebancane kulo mjaho wezikebhe waminyaka yonke onedumela.

UKhwela (37) osengumakadebona kwiDusi Marathon, ngoMgqibelo ulale isibili kowamanqamu alo mjaho we-K1 ngesikhathi esingu-7:20:31. Umhlanganiso udliwe ngu-Andy Birkett ngesikhathi esingu-7:12:50. Isithathu kube nguMatthew Fenn ngesikhathi esingu-7:22:59 uma sekuhlanganiswe zonke izikhathi kusukela ekuqaleni komjaho ngoLwesine, kuze kube sekusongweni kwawo ngoMgqibelo, eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini. Umjaho ubusuka eBishopstowe Hall, eMgungundlovu.

UBirkett unqobe iDusi ihlandla lika-15.

Kwabesifazane kuphume phambili uChristie MacKenzie ngo-8:32:25, isibili kwaba nguNikki Birkett ngo-8:58:12, endaweni yesithathu kwangena uBridgitte Hartley ngo-9:09:30

“Kusho lukhulu kimina ukuqeda endaweni yesibili, ikakhulukazi kule minyaka yobudala engikuyona ukuzibona ngenza kahle kulo mjaho,” kusho uKhwela odabuka eNtshongweni, eHillcrest.

Nakuba evuma ukuthi ukuthi uBirkett, osefaniswa “nenunu engafi”, usabamise kabi abagwedli abansundu kodwa sekuseduze phambili.

“Aya ngokuya eba maningi kakhulu amathuba okuthi omunye wabagwedli bakithi ayinqobe iDusi. Sebebaningi abagwedli abasebancane abenza kahle abanjengoMsawenkosi noSandile Mtolo (izelamani) nabanye.

“Lokho sekwenza kubelula nakimi ngoba uma sikhuluma nabafwethu sijima, ikhona le nto yokuthi noma ngabe ngubani phakathi kwethu oyiwinayo iDusi akusho lutho, inqobo nje uma kungomunye wethu wabagwedli abamnyama.

“Akusekhona ukuthi ngikubeka phambili ukuthi mina nginguKhwela ngifuna ukuwina iDusi. Ngakho-ke ngibona sekuseduze phambili ngoba uma ubheka kwi-K1 ka-2023, uMsawenkosi walala isibili, nakwi-K1 yanonyaka yimina olale isibili.

“Sekusele kancane nje lapha nalaphaya bese kuyalunga ngoba ikhono sinalo. Ukuthi nje sisabhekene nezinselelo ezahlukene okubalwa kuzo ukuntula uxhaso uma kuqhathaniswa nabagwedli abamhlophe.”

Ephawula ngokukhonya kukaBirkett, uthe: “UBirkett ugwedla unyaka wonke, miningi imijaho agwedla kuyo lapha naphesheya kwezilwandle emijahweni yamabanga amafishane namade, unamandla kakhulu emanzini.

“Kuningi asihlula ngakho kodwa lokho asikuthathi njengezaba ngoba unamandla kakhulu akenzi ngamlingo, akwenzayo ukwenza sibhekile.”

UMphathiswa wezeMidlalo KwaZulu-Natal, uMntomuhle Khawula, uthe kuyabajabulisa ukwanda kwabagwedli abansundu kulo mjaho kwazise eminyakeni edlule ubuthathwa njengowohlanga olulodwa kuphela.

“Ngenxa yokungenelela kukahulumeni, sifaka igxalaba, umjaho usuphenduke waba ngowabo bonke abantu abagwedli baKwaZulu-Natal nabaseNingizimu Afrika. Esesibheke phambili kukho manje ukuthi abagwedli bakulesi sifundazwe baziqeqeshe ngendlela yokuthi uma kuyiwa kuma-Olympic Games, bazibekisele indawo babe yithimba laseNingizimu Afrika elizokwazi ukuba nezindondo zegolide.”