MZWAMANDLA ZONDI
INHLANGANO yezokugijima emhlabeni iWorld Athletics (WA) ihlangene ne-International Athletics Foundation (IAF) bakhiphe isamba sika-R10 million ukubhekelela abasubathi abashayekile njengoba umhlaba wonke uhlaselwe yi-coronavirus esidlule nezinkulungwane zabantu.
Ukuhlasela kwalo mkhuhlane kuphoqe ukuba kume yonke into emhlabeni kanti kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi lo nyaka bekubhekwe kakhulu imidlalo yama-Olympic Games eJapan. Le midlalo isihlehliselwe unyaka ozayo ngenxa yethemba lokuthi isimo sizokube sesibuyele kwesejwayelekile. Abadidiyeli bale midlalo bathi uma ingabanga khona ngonyaka ozayo ngeke isaba khona.
Ngaphandle kwama-Olympic miningi eminye imidlalo ehlehlisiwe okuhlanganisa ama-Diamong League okuyimidlalo lapho abasubathi benze khona enhle imali, ama-World Indoors Championships ukubala nje embalwa.
Umengameli weWA uSebastian Coe obuye abe ngusihlalo we-IAF uthe le mali izosiza abasubathi abalahlekelwe yimiholo yabo ngenxa yokuhlasela kweCovid-19 emhlabeni kulezi zinyanga ezedlule.
UCoe uzokube eyingxenye yethimba elizokube libheka ukuthi lemali izokhishwa kanjani kanti uzophinde ahlale nalabo abazokube becubungula izicelo. Abanye abazokube bakhe leli thimba nguHicham El Guerrouj ophethe irekhodi lo mhlaba le-1500m, uKaterina Stefanidi oyingqwele yePole Vault kuma-Olympic, uSunil Sabharwal oyilunga le-WA, u-Abby Hoffman ukubala nje abambalwa. Abasubathi bazothumela izicelo zabo kwiWorld Athletics six Area Association
“Lolu hlelo luzosiza kakhulu abasubathi bethu njengoba be-shayekile ngenxa yalolu bhubhane. Ngiyaxhumana nabasubathi abaningi emhlabeni. Bakubalulile ukuthi isimo sibi njengoba imidlalo eminingi ihlehlisiwe eminye imisiwe. Nginethemba lokuthi ikhona imidlalo esizokuba nayo ekupheleni konyaka ukuze abasubathi kube khona abakucoshayo ikakhulukazi labo abaphila ngokugijima,” kusho uCoe.
Kwenzeka lokho nje, uMnyango WezeMidlalo kazwelonke usanda kukhipha imali elinganiselwa ku-R150 million yokusiza abadlali nabaculi bakuleli abashayekile kulandela ukubhuntsha kwemidlalo yabo ngenxa yeCovid-19.
I-Athletics South Africa (ASA) ithole inqwaba yezicelo ziphuma kubagijimi abebefake izicelo kwiRelief Fund ekhishwe umnya-ngo wezemidlalo. I-ASA yazisa abasubathi ukuthi zonke izicelo yazidlulisela kwiCovid-19 Relief Fund Task Team okuyiyona ezozicubungula. Ithi yiRelief Fund Task Team ezokhokhela abagijimi abafake izicelo nokuthi imalini abazoyithola kuzokhishwa yiTask Team.
