UMichael Mbambani ukhokela iqela leembaleki zoMzantsi Afrika
Umqeqeshi ophambili weembaleki, uMichael Mbambani, unikwe uxanduva lokuba ngumqeqeshi omtsha weWorld Champs Marathon. OkaMbambani unikwe umsebenzi omkhulu yiAthletics South Africa (ASA) Marathon wokuqinisekisa ukuba iimbaleki zoMzantsi Afrika ziya zikulungele futhi zibuya neembasa kwitumente ekuthiwa yWorld Championships ekulindeleke ibanjelwe eHungary kwinyanga yeThupha. UMbambani waseGqeberha yindoda phakathi kwamadoda kwicandelo leembaleki eMzantsi Afrika ngoba imisebenzi yakhe iyabonakala kwiqela lakhe, Ikhamva Athletics Club, avelise kulo iimbaleki zehlabathi ezifana noMMelikhaya Frans noThabang Mosiako. Isitali sakhe besingundabamlonyeni ekuqaleni kwale nyanga emva kokuba uMosiako ezenzele imbali wathatha isicoco seNelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon.
UMosiako yimbaleki yemigama emide eyazalelwa eMntla Ntshona eyakhetha ukufudukela kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni kuba ifuna ukuba phantsi kukaMbambani owaziwa ngokuvelisa iintshatsheli. Phantsi kukaMbambani, uMelikhaya yeyona mbaleki egqamileyo futhi ejikeleze amazwe ehlabathi phakathi kwezinye anazo. “Ndingumntu oxabise kakhulu usapho. Abantu endisebenza nabo kufuneka bazikhathalele iintsapho zabo. Xa belapha kum eGqeberha, kukubaleka into abayenzayo. Ayikho enye into,” utshilo uMbambani ethetha neThe Top Runner kutshanje. Oku kwenzeka emva kokuba uMelikhaya noMosiako begqugqise kwiitumente ebezibanjelwe eGqeberha kulo nyaka.
“Andazi nokuba ukhona na umqeqeshi oneentshatsheli njengam. Kunqabile ukubona iimbaleki ziphumelela imidyarho kabini iminyaka ilandelelana apha eMzantsi Afrika,” utshilo uMbambani. Le ndedeba yaseGqeberha ithi iimbaleki zalapha eMzantsi Afrika zinawo amandla okukhuphisana nezehlabathi kwimidyarho yeembaleki emikhulu. “Kuphume iintshatsheli zeNelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon apha eMzantsi Afrika iminyaka ilandelelana ngoba iimbaleki zethu zisemgangathweni ophezulu. Zingasiphakamisa isandla zithi ‘singawena umsebenzi’, utshilo uMbambani. UStephen Mokoka noMelkhaya Frans zezona mbaleki esezinawo amatikiti okuya eHungary kwinyanga engaphaya kwezayo.