Zihambile iintsuku emva kogqatso – kodwa ophumeleleyo akakakholelwa nangoku. Oku kuvele kwincoko yeSolezwe lesiXhosa noLungile Gongqa – intshatsheli entsha yeTwo Oceans Marathon.
UGongqa, obaleke ixesha eliyi-3:9:43 ushiye amadoda ezizigede emva kwakhe phambi kokuphumelela ugqatso eKapa kwiveki ephelileyo.
Le mbaleki ifumene iR267 000 ngokuba yimbaleki yokuqala eMzantsi Afrika, ekwahlala eKapa ephumelele iTwo Oceans emva kwembali eyenziwa nguThompson Magawana ngo’1988 owabaleka ngaphezulu kancinci kwiiyure ezintathu.
Lo msebenzi omhle uyavuyelwa yile mbaleki yelali yaseSithebe kwidolophu yaseNgcobo ngoba yinto ebisentliziyweni yayo.
Ibingelotyeli lokuqala uGongqa ebaleka iTwo Oceans, ngo’2012 wafumana indawo yamashumi amabini anethoba.
Kweli ityeli uye ezilungiselele ngokupheleleyo, kangangokuba uthi konke okwenzeke ngethuba ekhuphisana nezinye iimbaleki bekungamxhalabisi nakancinci.
“Yoh!…ndonwabe kakhulu, andikakholelwa nangoku ukuba ndim lo uphumeleleyo. Ndiye kwiTwo Oceans ndizilolonge kakuhle; ngo’2014 ndaxelela oogxa bam ukuba ndifuna ukuphumelela iTwo Oceans – ibiliphupha lam elo. Ndiye kolu gqatso ndizixelele ukuba akufuneki iTwo Oceans ithathwe ngumntu ongengowalapha eMzantsi Afrika ngoba basijongela phantsi,” utshilo uGongqa.
Njengokuba uninzi lweembaleki lumaxhaphetshu ngamalungiselelo weComrades Marathon – kodwa yena uGongqa uthi akayifuni okwangoku ngoba isantya sakhe sisephezulu kakhulu. Endaweni yoko, le ndedeba yaseNgcobo ijonge ugqatso oluseKapa naseBhayi kwezi nyanga zizayo.
“Andikufuni ukubaleka kwiComrades ngoba isantya endibaleka ngaso sisephezulu. Ndizimisele ukuya kwiCape Town Marathon 12km, ndilandelise ngeSA Champs ezakube iseBhayi,” utshilo uGongqa.
Amava nolwazi ngolu gqatso zezona zinto ezimcedileyo ukuze ashiye iimbaleki ezifana noWarinyane Lebopo waseLusuthu obethande ukumsokolisa uGongqa.
Phambi kokuthatha iTwo Oceans, uGongqa uthathe iWP Half-Marathon, Milkwood Marathon wafumana indawo yesibini kwiCape Peninsula Half Marathon ekuqaleni kulo nyaka.
UMzantsi Afrika uzuze inqaku kwiCongo Brazzaville ebibhokile kowayo!