Kuhoxe insephe yeDusi Marathon ngokwentula abaxhasi

INSEPHE yomgwedli, uSbonelo “Tough Guy” Khwela, ithi ayizukulibamba iqhaza kwiMyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon yakulo, ezoqala ngoLwesine isongwe ngoMgqibelo.

Lo mjaho wokugwedla izikebhe onedumela eNingizimu Afrika, webanga lika-120km ozobe uyi-K1 (kugwedlwa ngamunye) uzosukela emfuleni uMsunduzi, eMgungundlovu usongwe eMngeni, eThekwini.

UKhwela (35), ongomunye wabagwedli abahlale bebhekiwe kulo mjaho, uthi ukwentula abaxhasi nokuqhuma kwedamu aziqeqesha kulo, iShongweni Dam, okwenzeke ngesikhathi sezikhukhula zanyakenye, kumkhinyabeze kakhulu emalungiselelweni akhe omjaho.

“Bengizimisele impela ngokubamba iqhaza kwiDusi yaku lo nyaka, kodwa izinselelo engibhekane nazo zibe ngaphezu kwamandla. Kwagcina kuphoqeleka ukuthi ngihoxe.

Okokuqala, angibatholanga abaxhasi. Abaxhasi yibo abasilekelela kakhulu thina bagwedli ngenxa yokubiza kwamathuluzi esiziqeqesha ngawo, okwenza kube nzima kakhulu ukwenza amalungiselo omjaho walolu hlobo uma ungenabo abaxhasi.

Okwesibili, okungikhinyabeze kakhulu wukuqhuma kweShongweni Dam, okuyilona damu engiziqeqesha kulo eliseduze kakhulu nasekhaya, ngenxa yezikhukhula zangonyaka odlule.

Lokhu-ke, bese kungiphoqa ukuthi ngiyoziqeqeshela eMidmar Dam, okuyinto ebingishaya kakhulu ephaketheni ngophethroli ngoba besekudingeka ngishayele ibanga elide elingu-44km ukuya khona,” kusho uKhwela engxoxweni yakhe neSolezwe ngeSonto.

Uthi uzoba khona kulo mjaho ukuzokweseka ozakwabo abazobe beyibambile.

“Ngizobe ngikhona ukuzokweseka ozakwethu abazobe bebambe iqhaza emjahweni, futhi nginethemba lokuthi bazokwenza okuncomekayo. Mina sengiyobuya kwiDusi yangonyaka ozayo, ngethemba okuthi ngizobe sengibatholile abaxhasi,” kuqhuba uKhwela oke waxhaswa yiRed Bull ne-Euro Steel.

UKhwela ungomunye wabagwedli abamnyama asebeke bawunqoba lo mjaho kugwedlwa ngababili (K2), njengoba awunqoba ngo-2014 egwedla nenye insephe, u-Andy Birkett.

Nyakenye lo mgwedli odabuka eShongweni, uphume isithathu egwedla noNqobile Makhanya kulo mjaho ophinde wanqotshwa wuBirkett.

Phakathi kwabanye abagwedli ababhekiwe kulo mjaho, kubalwa kubo uThulani Mbanjwa, uMsawenkosi Mtolo, uNqobile Makhanya, uKhumbulani Nzimande, uMatthew Millward noDavid Evans.

UMbanjwa owanqoba iDusi ngo-2008 egwedla noMartin Dreyer, nyakenye ulale isine egwedla noMsawenkosi Mtolo. UNzimande walala isikhombisa nyakenye egwedla noMpilo Zondi.

Oyinhloko yeDusi, uSteve Botha, uthe: “Silindele ukubona izinga eliphezulu kakhulu emjahweni wakulo nyaka, futhi nemvula yakamuva KwaZulu-Natal yenza imifula ibe sesimweni esikahle noma ingagcwele kakhulu njenganyakenye ngalesi sikhathi sonyaka.”