BAHLONIPHE uzakwabo ongasekho ngegolide abalitholile kwiComrades Marathon abeqembu labagijmi laKwaZulu-Natal (KZN), iPhantane Athletic Club.
Umgijimi wePhantane, uMahlomola Sekhonyana, ube ngowesibili waseKZN ukunqamula intambo eScottsville Racecourse kwiComrades Marathon ngeSonto.
USekhonyana (33) uqede umjaho obusuka eThekwini ngo-5.43.52 wahlabana ngegolide lakhe lokuqala kulo mjaho obungu-86.83km ethatha indawo yesine.
Yena nomqeqeshi wakhe, uMdu Khumalo, bavumelene ngokuthi konke abebekwenza bebekhumbula uzakwabo uSiphiwe Ndlela, odlule emhlabeni nyakenye elungiselela iComrades.
“Uhlelo lwethu kulo nyaka bekuwukuqeda kwabathathu abaphezulu kodwa kwangenzeka. Nokho ngizamile. Nyakenye asizange sigijime kahle ngoba uSiphiwe usishiye silungiselela iComrades ekubeni nguyena umuntu ebengibukela kuye kakhulu. Konke esikwenzile manje sikwenze egameni lakhe,” kusho uSekhonyana odabuka eHammarsdale.
Uthe ngesikhathi egijima wenze iphutha elicishe lamlahlekisela ngegolide lakhe.
“Konke bese kulele kimina ngoba umqeqeshi ubesewenzile owakhe umsebenzi. Ungitshelile ukuthi kumele ngihlale nabo (abagijimi abaphambili) size siyofika eNtshangwe ngoba yilapho izinto ezenzeka khona. Ngenze iphutha ngasheshe ngaphuma nalaba abebehamba phambili (* -Edward Mothibi noDavid Gatebe).
"Nokho ngibuye ngakhumbula obekushiwo umqeqeshi, ngahlehlela emuva ngenza ngendlela ebesihlele ngayo,” kulandisa uSekhonyana osenemijaho eyisithupha yeComrades.
UKhumalo uthe uqale iPhantane ngo-2013 ngenhloso yokuthi kube neqembu labagijimi labantu abamnyama. Unesifiso sokulibona lidlondlobala lifinyelela ezingeni lahlonishwayo anjengeNedbank Running Club neMaxed Elite.
USekhonyana akusiyena yedwa owenze kahle njengoba iPhantane ihlonishwe njengeqembu elenze kahle kubagijimi besilisa kwiComrades yalo nyaka. Abanye abagijimi bayo bekuwuDelani Mkhize (6.20.12), Malibongwe Dlamini (6.36.43) noSipho Ngxongo (7.00.21).
“Ngijabule kakhulu. Lesi bekuyisifiso sami kusukela ngonyaka odlule. Sikwenze egameni likazakwethu uSiphiwe obegijimela iNedbank kodwa ejinyiswa yimina. Uyena obenesipiliyoni kithina njengoba ebenamagolide amabili,” kusho uKhumalo.
Uthe bayabadinga abaxhasi kwazise okwamanje basasizwa kakhulu uMgeni Water.
“Kusukela ngo-2013 kuze kube nyakenye besingenabani. Ngingqongqoze yonke indawo kungalungi kwaze kwaba wukuthi kufika uMgeni osisize kakhulu sakwazi ukuyisa abagijimi emijahweni efana neCape Town 12 neTwo Oceans,” kuphetha uKhumalo.