Online Reporter
Nkosilathi Sibanda
INHLANGANISO yeHighlanders Athletics Club (HAC) ibika ukuba isilungiselele yaphelela ukuthi iqhube umjaho walonyaka oweHighlanders Half Marathon ozabe ungeSonto.
Kubikwa, intshantshu kwezokugijima kuleli u-Isaac Mpofu uzabe ekhona kulumncintiswano. Kukhangelelwe ukuthi uMpofu abange ukutshaya intambo kuqala kulumncintiswano ozakuba labanye njalo abaziwa ngokuba lesiphiwo sokucela ezinyaweni.
Umjaho lo, oyi-21km, uzaqalisela enkundleni yeHighlanders Club house, uphinde uphelele lapho. Ngokubika kwabaqoqi bawo, lumncintiswano uyingxenye yokuthakazelela ukufikisa iminyaka elikhulu lokhe kwasungulwa iqembu lenguqu eleHighlanders.
Umgcinisihlalo weHighlanders Athletics Club uLawrence Phiri, uthe lonyaka balokuthaba ukwethula umjaho we-21km, okuveza ukuthi umncintiswano uyakhula.
“Njengoba lisazi ukuthi ngumnyaka wokuqala umjaho ufike ku-half marathon, siyajabula ukuthola impendulo ezinhle ezivela emphakathini ogijimayo ngalokhu. Ngomnyaka odluleyo saqhuba umjaho wokuzikholisela nje.
“Ngaphandle kokugijima, silohlelo lwe-zumba lapho labo abangafuni ukugijima abazathola ukuqeqetshwa ngokuqinisa imizimba yabo,” kutsho uPhiri.
Uthe bakhangelele ukuthi kube labantu abanengi.
“Ngomnyaka odluleyo bekulabantu abangu-150. Lonyaka sizakwedlula lapho ngoba kulabantu abazavela kwamanye amadolobho, abalisela iKwekwe.
“Bonke abazagijima bazathola imendulo lezikipa. Abazanqoba bazaphiwa imvuzo ethile, esizayibika kumalanga alandelayo nxa sesikhulume labaxhasi bethu. Sizaqala ukugijima sisuka eClub House, sithathe umgwaqo ongena kwesokunxele uqonde eQueens Drive ku-Airport Road, siphenduke lapho esiqale khona.”
UPhiri uthe bathole usekelo kumankampani athile, athembisa ukuba azaphatheka emncintiswaneni.
“Silamankampani ambalwa asevume ukuthi azabe ekhona, athumele izisebenzi zawo ukuthi zizogijima.
Amankampani la yiCBZ, First Mutual, Zimparks, Nssa leNyaradzo. Abanye esizasebenzelana labo yiSchweppes, Sila Health, John Landa Nkomo Memorial Trust, ZimbosAbantu, Econet, ZimbosAbantu lenkampani ye-Itel lamanye alokhe esondelela njengoba ilanga lomjaho selifika. Sisebenza ndawonye leHighlanders Football Club, njengoba umjaho wethu uyingxenye yamalungiselelo okuthakazelela ukufika kwayo iminyaka engu-100.Enye inhloso yethu enkulu yikukhuthaza abantu ukuthi bagcine imizimba yabo iqinile. Sikhuthaza izakhamizi ukuthi zithathele phezulu ukugijima. Kuzabe kulokuhlolwa imizimba ngabezempilakahle mahala. Abantu ababuye ngobunengi,” kutsho uPhiri.
Umgcinisihlalo weBulawayo Athletics Club, abaphethe umdlalo wokugijima koNtuthu, uWatson Madanyika uthe:
“Sikhangelele abagijimi abagoqela intshantshu u-Isaac Mpofu labanye abahlala koBulawayo labavela kwezinye indawo. Lonyaka umkhulu umjaho lo njalo silokuthaba njenge Bulawayo Athletics Club ngendlela okuqhutshwe ngayo amalungiselelo.”
