ABAMPISHOLO BALUBALUBELA UKUNQOBA I-DUSI MARATHON
BAFUNA ukuqopha umlando abagwedli baKwaZulu-Natal abamnyama, uSibonelo Khwela noThulani Mbanjwa ngokunqoba iDusi Canoe Marathon ezokuba ngoNhlolanja (February) wangonyaka ozayo ezoqala mhla ka-27 eMgungundlovu isongwe mhla ka-29 eBlue Lagoon, eThekwini.
Bobabili laba bagwedli sebake bawunqoba lo mjaho begwedla nabamhlophe.
UMbanjwa uwunqobe egwedla noMartin Dreyer kwathi uKhwela wadla ubhedu ehambisana noAndy Birkett.
Selokhu wasungulwa lo mjaho abagwedli abamnyama kabakaze bawunqobe uma begwedla ngabodwa. Yingakho-ke befuna ukuqopha umlando ngokuwunqoba bebobabili. Umjaho wangonyaka ozayo uzokuba yiK2 (begwedla ngababili).
Ekhuluma naleli phephandaba uKhwela, ukuqinisekisile ukuthi uzokube egwedla noMbanjwa ngonyaka ozayo. Uthe ngenxa yokuthi izindawo abahlala kuzona ziqhelelene, kusuka yena aye eNagle Dam kuMbanjwa kanti noMbanjwa uyeza eShongweni bezoziqeqesha ndawonye.
“Umjaho wangonyaka ozayo uzokuba nzima kakhulu. Ukungani kwemvula ngesikhathi kuzosiphazamisa kakhulu. Umuntu ukuze enze kahle kuzofanele asebenze kakhulu ngaphandle kwamanzi. Ukuziqeqesha kwethu kuzodinga ukuba kuqine ekugijimeni kwazise kubukeka kunezindawo eziningi esizozihamba ngaphandle kwamanzi.
“Isimo sezulu sibi kakhulu manje futhi ngiyabona ukuthi eminyakeni ezayo sizophoqeleka ukuba sigijime sithwele izikebhe size siyofika eThekwini. INingizimu Afrika inenkinga yokushodelwa ngamanzi ngakhoke kangiboni amanzi ezovulelwa thina kube kuzosala kusokola isizwe sonke. Kunomjaho esisanda kuwugijima noMbanjwa oqale kwaMkhizwane wasongwa eMbeje Store, bekunzima kakhulu kwazise kalikho idamu ebelivuliwe,” kusho uKhwela.
Uqhube wathi miningi imijaho abazobamba iqhaza kuyona benoMbanjwa ngoMasingana (January) ukuze kufike usuku lwalo mjaho beqatha ngokwanele. Uthi yize bezimisele ngokwenza kahle ngonyaka ozayo kodwa kubukeka bezothwala kanzima kuHank McGregor ozokube egwedla noBirkett kwazise sebewunqobe amahlandla amaningi lo mjaho.
Abanye abagwedli okubhekwe ukuba benze kahle ngu-Ant Stott ozokube egwedla noCarl Folscher.
Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi umjaho wanonyaka unqotshwe nguBirkett kwathi uKhwela noMbanjwa bangena endaweni yesibili neyesithathu ngokwahlukana.
Abanye abagwedli okubhekwe ukuba bazibonakalise ngonyaka ozayo nguThembinkosi Ngcobo ozokube egwedla noNosipho Mthembu. UNosipho oneminyaka ewu-18 ubudala, ubemele iNingizimu Afrika kumaWorld Championships ngenyanga edlule eChina. UNgcobo utshele leli phephandaba ukuthi bazimisele ngokuba ngabokuqala abaxube ubulili ukungena kuqala kulo mjaho.