MZWAMANDLA ZONDI
KUHLUKENE imibono kubasubathi ngeComrades Marathon yanonyaka ezokuba mhla ka-14 kuNhlangulana (June) isukela eMgungundlovu isongwe eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini.
UNick Bester oyimenenja yeNedbank Running Club unesifiso sokuba lo mjaho uqhubeke. Izinkinga mayelana nalo mjaho zidalwe ukubhebhetheka kwe-coronavirus esibulale izinkulungwane zabantu emhlabeni. Lolu bhubhane lo mkhuhlane luphoqe ukuba imidlalo eminingi emhlabeni imiswe eminye ihlehliswe.
Eminingi isihlehlisiwe kungabalwa iTwo Oceans Marathon engeke isaba khona, ama-Olympic Games, eminye imilenze yeSpar Ladies ukubala nje embalwa.
AbeComrades Marathon Association (CMA) abakaphumeli obala ngomjaho wabo. Bathi balinde ukukhipha isimemezelo ekupheleni kwenyanga uma sekuphele iLockdown njengoba kumiswe yonke into kuleli.
UBester uthi lo mjaho mawungbhuntshi. Uthi okungenani awuhlehliselwe ukuphela konyaka. Uthi usehlele ukuthatha abasubathi bakhe abayise e-Ethiopia lapho bezoziqeqeshela khona ukuzilungiselela lo mjaho.
UBester ekhuluma nelinye iphepha eliphuma nsuku zonke uthe bazozama ukuba baxhumane nosihlalo weCMA uCheryl Winn ukuba okungenani lo mjaho bawuhlehlisele uMandulo (September) noma uMfumfu (October).
Ingqwele yalo mjaho u-Edward Mothibi (osesithombeni) osubathela iNedbank naye uhambe emazwini kaBester. Uthi: “Nginethemba lokuthi isimo sizokuba esihle ngokuphela konyaka. Ngingajabula uma abadidiyeli balo mjaho bezoqhubeka nawo. Kuningi esesikwenzile ukuzilungiselela. Kungaba buhlungu ukuba lo mjaho ungabi khona kwazise ngiwubheke ngabomvu.”
Ngakolunye uhlangothi uMthandeni Nene weMthande Athletes Management opheka uSanelisiwe Mbanjwa oyingqwele ye-IAU 50km Championships uthi akayiboni iComrades Marathon izokuba khona ngosuku lwayo.
“Uma abeComrades bethatha isinqumo sokuqhubeka nomjaho wabo ngoJune ngabe bafaka abasubathi enkingeni. Kufanele baphumele obala banqume kusenesikhathi. Kumanje yonke into imisiwe eNingizimu Afrika kanti nabasubathi abaziqeqeshi ngoba abavunyelwe.
Uma uya kwiComrades udinga ukuba uziqeqeshe ngokwanele. Uma umjaho uqhubeka abasubathi bazokwenza izikhathi ezingezinhle ngenxa yokungakutholi ukuziqeqesha ngokwanele.
Ukugijima lo mjaho ungekho fithi kungaholela ekutheni abasubathi bathole ukulimala okungenasidingo. Futhi lokho kungaqeda ngekusasa labo.
“IComrades ayidedele umoya umjaho wayo iwuhlehlise noma ungabi khona ukuze bazi abasubathi ukuthi yini okufanele bayenze.
Ngendlela izibalo zabahaqwe ye-corona ezikhula ngayo kangiwuboni uba khona kodwa sesolinda umbiko wabo. Abagijimi abangalindi into engeke ize yenzeke. Okubuhlungu amafomu abo kawafani noweTwo Oceans. Awe-Two Oceans akubeka kucace ukuthi uma umjaho ubhuntsha imali kayibuyi kanti kwiComrades akukho lapho ikhuluma khona ngenkinga efuze lena.
Yinkinga ababhekene nayo njengoba bengaphumeli obala,” kubeka uNene.
UNene uthi iComrades Marathon Association (CMA) yinhlangano endala kufanele ngabe kukhona enakho emgodlweni wayo ukubhe-kana nesimo esifuze lesi.
AbeCMA bathe kuzokuthi ngo-kuphela kweLockdown bakhiphe umbiko kanti okunye abakubalulile ukuthi bazochaza ngendlela abazoyisebenzisa ukwamukela labo basubathi abangakwazanga ukwenza izikhathi njengoba kuvalwe yonke into kuleli abanye bengakazenzi izikhathi. ICMA ibambisene ne-Athletics South Africa (ASA) bekufa-nele ikhiphe umbiko ngoLwesihla-nu kodwa ngokululwa kweLockdown kulindeleke ukuba bahla-ngane uma kuphela inyanga.
