USTEPHEN Mokoka umgijimi wakuleli ozoyibamba emjahweni ka-42km kuma-Olympic ngoMgqibelo eParis Isithombe: BACKPAGEPIX
OWABA ngowokuqala kwabampisholo baseNingizimu Afrika, ukunqoba indondo yegolide kuma-Olympic Games, uJosia Thugwane, ubona kusezandleni zikaStephen Mokoka ukunqoba indondo emjahweni ka-42km.
Abaselisa bazobanga ukuba ngumpetha wama-Olympic ngoMgqibelo kule midlalo ezosongwa ngempelasonto. Umjaho uzoqala ngo-8 ekuseni.
Kuma-Olympic ango-1996, e-Atlanta, e-USA, ngemuva kokuthi elakuleli libuyiselwe kule midlalo, kwaqala kwabuye kwagcina ngoThugwane ukunqoba indondo kwi-marathon kulo mqhudelwano.
UThugwane owahlonishwa ngendondo ye-Order of Ikhamanga, ngo-2011, wabuya nendondo yegolide kuma-Olympic. Uthe okumenza amethembe uMokoka ukuthi usenesipiliyoni esanele sama-Olympic. UMokoka kuzoba ngokwesine egijima kuwo.
Waqala ngo-2012, eLondon lapho aqeda endaweni ka-49. Kwathi ngo-2016, eRio de Janeiro, eBrazil, wagijima ibanga lika-10 000m. Ngo-2021, eTokyo, eJapan, wabuyela kwi-marathon agcina engayiqedanga.
Edlanzaneni labasubathi eselisele eParis, ungomunye osekubekwe ithemba kuye lokuba nendondo.
"Uma umzimba wakhe umvumelile ekuseni ngoMgqibelo, kuzoba kuye uMokoka ukuthi uyayifuna noma cha indondo, usenaso isipiliyoni sokulawula okuzokwenzeka. Okuhle ngama-Olympic ukuthi izikhathi azinakwa kangako, kugxilwa ekunqobeni izindondo. Kusetshenziswa amaqhinga kakhulu. UMokoka kuzomele azifunde kahle izitha zakhe, ukushesha komjaho, isimo sezulu, ukuphuma esixukwini ngesikhathi esifanele nokunye," kubeka uThugwane.
Uqhube wathi: "Ngo-1996 ngasizwa ukufunda konke okwakwenzeka emzileni. Akekho owayenginika ithuba lokunqoba. Ngikhumbula kahle ukuthi kwakuthishwa uLee (Bong-Ju) waseJapan. Wasala enkemile.“
Lo makadebona owagijima nakuma-Olympic ango-2000, eSydney, e-Australia, uthe ukuhluleka kwabasubathi bakuleli eParis kuyizinkomba zokuthi umsebenzi awenziwa ngendlela efanele.
"Ngeke ziye ndawo ezokusubatha zakuleli uma kungatshalwa imali kuzo. Lokhu kumele kuqale ezikoleni. Abasubathi bethu kumele benze izikhathi ezinhle ukuze bezomenywa emijahweni yomhlaba. Mina ngasizwa ukuthi ngaphambi kokuya kuma-Olympic ngaqala ngamenywa emijahweni yomhlaba efana neNew York Marathon, Chicago, Berlin, ukusho embalwa. Ngaya kuma-Olympic sengazi ukuthi kumiswa kanjani esigabeni somhlaba," kuchaza lo makadebona.
Uthe okunye okwamsiza ukuthanda izwe lakhe. "Ezinye zalezi zingane eziseParis uyabona ukuthi zihluleke zizamile. Ziyalithanda izwe lazo. Uyabona ukuthi uma zingathola uqeqesho lwezinga ziphinde zijwayele ukugijima e-Europe, zingabuya nokuthile kuma-Olympic azayo. Ezinye uyabona ukuthi ziye eParis ukuyogcina icala.“
NgeSonto okuwusuku lokusonga imidlalo ngo-8 ekuseni, kwabesifazane, elakuleli lizomelwa nguGerda Steyn, nguCian Oldknow no-Ivertt van Zyl.
Related Topics: