Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira
UMGCINISIHLALO weBulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) uWatson Madanyika usebike ukuba ulokwethemba ukuthi balungiselele baphelela ukuqhuba umncintiswano wePayne-Mdhlongwa Invitational Meet ngoMgqibelo eWhite City Stadium.
“Siwulindele umjaho. Siwulungiselele njalo sikhangelele ukuthi ubeyimpumelelo, sitshengisele ukuthi siphetheni kwezomdlalo wokugijima kuleli.
“I-Payne-Mdhlongwa Invitational Meet iyinkundla ebalulekileyo yokuthi abagijimi bethu bathuthukise amathalenta abo ngaphambi kokuba bayencintisa kuma-Inter-Provincial Championships. Silindele ukubona umkhakha wabagijimi osezingeni eliphezulu, njalo siyaqiniseka ukuthi umjaho lo uzaveza ithalenta elikhona elizweni,” kutsho uMadanyika.
Umjaho lo uthembisa ukuba ngumbukiso ogcwele amathalenta kuwo wonke amahlandla. Abagijimi bazabe bebanga ukukhethwa kuma-Inter-Provincial Championships. Imali yokuphatheka kulumncintiswano yi-$3 umutu munye ngamunye. Amaqembu ama-relay azabhadala i-$5.
UMadanyika uthe babonga abasekela babo abaze losizo lwemivuzo.
“Sibonga u-Arnold Payne loNdabezinhle Mdhlongwa ngokuqhubeka besisekela. Uxhaso lwabo lwenze kwabalula ukuthi silungiselele umncintiswano lo ukuze labo abagijimayo bathole okuthile ngamathalenta abo. Sikhangelele umncintiswano ozaphakamisa amathalenta, ukhuthaze labasakhulayo ukuthi baphatheke emdlalweni.”
UMdhlongwa wake wadla ubhedu ngokweqa i-triple jump. Waba yintshantshu ye-Africa ngokweqa i17,34 metres kusukela ngomnyaka ka1998 kusiya ku2007. Engumfundi eLouisiana Ragin’ Cajuns eMelika, wanqoba ku-1995 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships ku-triple jump.
UPayne, wenza imbali kuleli ngokuba yintshantshu ye400m njalo wabayingxenye yeqembu leZimbabwe elancintisa ku1995 World Athletics Championships. Useke wagcona ukusilela kwenkundla zokugijima kuleli, ebika ukuthi yikho okudale ukuthi abasakhulayo balahle ithemba emdlalweni.
UPayne nguye njalo okhokhela iPayne Global Sports International, inhlanganiso egxile ekuqeqetsheni abagijimayo ezikolo, emakolitshini lakwezinye indawo.
