Dylan Bettencourt
Ama-Paralympics afike esiphethweni sawo ngeSonto ekuseni kanti iqembu lakuleli liqede imidlalo yayo ngendlela yokugcizelela, yathola enye indondo yazenza zaba yisikhombisa sezizonke.
ULouzanne Coetzee ushayele isipikili sokugcina ngenkathi ethola indondo yethusi emjahweni wabesifazane we-T12. Phambilini uCoetzee wawina isiliva emncintiswaneni we-1,500m (T11) futhi wakhombisa ukuzimisela kwakhe ngokuphuma endaweni yesithathu e-Tokyo ngeSonto ekuseni.
Lo msubathi oneminyaka engama-28, uhlabe umxhwele nakakhulu njengoba isikhathi sakhe se-3hr 11min 13 sec siba irekhodi lomhlaba le-T11. Lokhu kunikeza iqembu lakuleli isibalo sezindondo eziyisikhombisa, ezine zegolide, isiliva elilodwa nezimbili zethusi kanye nokuthola amarekhodi omhlaba amathathu amangalisayo ngesikhathi semidlalo.
INingizimu Afrika ibe nabasubathi abahlanu abathole izindondo ezahlukene e-Tokyo, uNtando Mahlangu unezindondo ezimbili zegolide, u-Anrune Weyers kanye noPieter du Preez umuntu ngamunye uwine indondo eyodwa yegolide. UCoetzee uzuze indondo eyodwa yesiliva kanye neyodwa yethusi kwathi ekugcineni, uSherly James wathola indondo eyodwa yethusi.
Ukulandela isikhathi sakhe sokuqopha irekhodi lomhlaba nokunqobela izwe lakhe indondo yokugcina, uCoetzee uthe uzizwe ‘ekhethekile’ ngokuqeda endaweni yesithathu.
“Sibe sendaweni yesihlanu ibanga elide, futhi bekungekho ekhanda lami ukuthi ngidlulele endaweni yesithathu. Kodwa ngibusisiwe. Irekhodi lomhlaba esandleni sami, i-PB kanye nendondo. Angikwazi ukucela okwengeziwe. Sengike ngagijima imijaho emibi phambilini, kodwa lokhu bekukuhle kakhulu,” kusho uCoetzee.
Isibani esikhanyayo kuma-Paralympics akungabazeki ukuthi nguMahlangu oneminyaka eyi-19 othole izindondo ezimbili zegolide futhi waphula amarekhodi amabili omhlaba. Yize esemusha, lo msubathi waseNingizimu Afrika uthuse umhlaba wonke ngokwenza kwakhe kahle ku-200m T61 yabesilisa kanye ne-T63 ye-long jump yabesilisa.
UMahlangu uzophakamisela ifulegi laseNingizimu Afrika phezulu eminyakeni ezayo futhi nakanjani uzoba yisihlabani somhlaba wonke esimweni akuso.
Umthombo wesithombe: @ TeamSA2020