Ingwazi nelinye ithuba lokumela izwe
INGWAZI yaseNingizimu Afrika yomdlali we-long jump, uKhotso Mokoena, ibonge uMdali ngokuphinda ithole ithuba lokumela izwe esitejini somhlaba ngemuva kokungena ethimbeni labadlali abayisikhombisa abazoyibamba kwi-IAAF World Indoor Championship eBirmingham, e-England ngoMashi 1-4.
UMokoena (32) kwagcina ngaye ngo-2008 ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ithole indondo yegolide kule midlalo. Umenyiwe ukuthi abe sethimbeni lemidlalo ngenxa yokuphatha isicoco sika-2017 se-European Indoor Tour.
UMokoena ugxile kakhulu kulolu hlobo lwemiqhudelwano ngemuva kokungenzi kahle kweyangaphandle lapho wonke amathemba egolide esebekwe kuLuvo Manyonga.
“Kuyinto engijabulisayo ukubuyela ekutheni ngiyomela izwe. Kulokhu bonke abahamba phambili bazobe beyimele ngokuziqhenya iNingizimu Afrika. Lena kuzoba imidlalo yami yesine ye-Indoor World Championship. Lonke udumo ngolukaNkulunkulu,” kubhala uMokoena ekhasini lakhe kwiTwitter @ mokoenainspires. UMokoena wathola isiliva eDoha ngo-2010. Omunye umdlali we-long jump okhona uRuswahl Samaai.
UManyonga oqalayo ukudlala kumaIndoor, uzoya kulo mqhudelwano ifomu yakhe iphezulu njengoba ekuqaleni kwenyanga ebeke irekhodi elisha le-Indoor lase-Afrika egxuma u-8.40m eFrance. USamaai, osekuwumqhudelwano wakhe wesibili kufanele ukuthi uzobe ezimisele ngokwenza kangcono kunango-2016 ePortland, e-USA lapho aqeda khona endaweni yesihlanu.
Abanye abazomela leli, abagijimi u-Emile Erasmus oziyibamba kwi-60m yabesilisa. UDominique Scott-Efurd osanda kuphula amarekhodi akuleli ku-1500m nakwi3000m noCarin Horn naye wenza kahle emiqhudelwaneni ye-Indoor e-Europe lapho esanda kubeka irekhodi elisha lakuleli ku-60m. Umengameli we-Athletics South Africa, u-Aleck Skhosana, ephawula ngethimba abazolithumela, wabeka kanje: “Ngethemba ukuthi lizokwenza kahle yize thina isimo sethu sezulu singasivumeli ukuthi sibe nemidlalo yama-Indoor. Kodwa ukwenza kahle kwabo ngaphandle kusinikeza ithemba.”