Omakadebona bazimisele ngokushintsha umlando ngeDusi
OMAKADEBONA emdlalweni wokugwedla bazimisele ngokuqopha umlando ngokuba abokuqala ukunqoba iDusi Canoe Marathon kulo nyaka okugwedla abantu ngababili (K2) kuyo. Lo mjaho, kulo nyaka ohlanganisa iminyaka engu69 wasungulwa, uqala namuhla eCamp Drift, eMgungundlovu, uphele ngoMgqibelo eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini.
UThulani Mbanjwa, weLembethe Canoe Club, noSibonelo Khwela, woMzinyathi Canoe Club, batshele Isolezwe ukuthi okwenze baqoma ukuhlangana ukuthi sebekhathele ukubona kukhonya abamhlophe minyaka yonke kulo mdlalo.
Bathe kuzophela konke lokhu. Bobabili laba bagwedli baseMkhambathini sebeke bayinqoba iDusi eminyakeni edlule, nokho begwedla nabebala elimhlophe. Ngo-2008, uMbanjwa wayinqoba egwedla noMartin Dreyer, kwathi ngo-2014 uKhwela wayiwina ehambisana no-Andy Birkett. UMbanjwa noKhwela bazobe bengaqali ukugwedla ndawonye. Ngo-2012, kwala kancane baqophe umlando njengoba baphuma isithathu.
“Okungijabulisayo ukuthi wonke amalungiselelo ethu ahambe kahle kakhulu. Kulo nyaka impela kuzoshintsha izinto. Okuhle sinesipiliyoni, sesiwazi njengoba sizazi umzila. Ngineminyaka ewu-14 ngaqala ukugwedla kanti uMbanjwa uneminyaka engu21 aqala lo mjaho. Sesikhathele ukubona kucanasa abebala elimhlophe, sekuyisikhathi sethu manje,” kubeka uMbanjwa.
Nyakenye kugwedla umuntu ngayedwa (K1) intambo yashaywa u-Birkett weNatal Canoe Club oseyiwine kayisithupha kulandelana iDusi. Seyiyonke imijaho ayiwinile iyisishiyagalolunye. Isibili kube uKhwela, isithathu sathathwa uMbanjwa.
Empeleni ngonyaka odlule abagwedli bebala elimpisholo benze kahle kakhulu njengoba baba u-11 abangena kwiTop 20. Lapha kukhulunywa ngabagwedli abanjengoMpilo Zondi, Mbanjwa, Khumbulani Nzimande, Mpilo Zondi, Banetse Nkhoesa, Msawenkosi Mtolo Siseko Ntondini, Richard Cele, Thabani Msia, noLucas Mthalane.
Kwabesifazane kunqobe uChristie Mackenzie.
Kulo nyaka abazoshaya intambo bazocazelana uR25 000, isibili uR16 000 bese kuba uR12 000 isithathu. Imiklomelo izohamba ize ifike kophume kweyeshumi ozogoduka nomthobanhliziyo kaR1 000.
UMbanjwa sisamshayisa ngovalo esango-2012.
“Ngo-2012, ngosuku lokuqala sasihamba phambili. Sathi singanake lutho safelwa yizituli zesikebhe kwangabe kusagwedleka. Ngolwesibili saphinda saba neshwa, sawa sidlula ngaseMkhizwana. Usuku esagwedla ngalo kahle kwaba ngolwesithathu.
“Sagcina silele isithathu. Siyathandaza kulokhu ukuthi konke kuhambe kahle,” kusho uMbanjwa.