Abaphatheka kwezemidlalo sebeveze ithemba lokuba loluhlangothi lungaphakama okwamagama nxa umphathintambo wezemidlalo uKirsty Coventry engakhethwa ukuba ngumaqhuzu wenhlanganiso yeInternational Olympic Committee.
UCoventry ngomunye wabayisikhombisa abethulwe yinhlanganiso yeInternational Olympic Committee ukuba bazancintisa kukhetho lokudinga umongameli wayo omutsha ekuqaleni komnyaka ozayo.
Isiphathamandla senhlanganiso yeNational Athletics Association of Zimbabwe uManuel Mpofu uthi uCoventry ulalo ulwazi olokukhokhela inhlanganiso yeInternational Olympic Committee.
"Ulolwazi olukhulu kabi ngokuncintisa njalo khathesi uselolwazi lokukhokhela njengoba engumphathintambo wezemidlalo elizweni. Lololwazi lumfaka esimeni esihle esokuba kungenzakala kuhle engakhokhela inhlanganiso yeIOC engumongameli. Akukaze kube lowesifazane oseke wakhokhela linhlanganiso engumongameli okokuthi kungaba yinto enhle kubomama nxa uCoventry engangena, kuphinde kube yinto enhle futhi kithi njengabantu beZimbabwe," kutsho uMpofu.
Olandela ezemidlalo uNicole Dube yena uthi banengi abangakhuthazeka empilweni zabo nxa uCoventry engakhethwa ukuba ekhokhele inhlanganiso yeIOC.
"UKirsty ngumuntu owaziwayo kakhulu kweleZimbabwe njalo banengi abakhangelele kuye. Ukufuna kwakhe ukuba lesikhundla esikhulu kangaka kungaphathisa ukuba laba abakhangelele kuye labo bafise ukuba ngabantu abaphakemeyo empilweni zabo," kutsho uDube.
Umdlali wenguqu olodumo uSuper Netsai Moyo, uthi ukukhethwa kukaCoventry njengomunye walabo abakhankasela ukukhokhela inhlanganiso yeIOC sekutshiye ingqobe kibo njengabantu besilisa abaphatheke kumdlalo wenguqu.
"Amankazana adlala inguqu ake afinyelela ukuyadlala kumidlalo yeOlympics eBrazil kodwa thina njengamadoda kuyehlula. Ngibona angathi leyi yingqobe esiyiphiwa nguKirsty ukuthi lathi njengamadoda kumele sibophe ziqine ikakhulu emdlalweni wenguqu lathi sitholakale sesithutsha khonale. Kuyinto enhle njalo simfisela inhlanhla eyokuba awuthole lumsebenzi mhlawumbe lathi njengabantu beZimbabwe kungaba yinkuthazo eyokuba siyencintisa kumidlalo eyetshiyeneyo kumidlalo yeOlympics," kutsho uMoyo.
UCoventry ukhethwe ukuba ngumphathintambo wezemidlalo ngomnyaka ka2018 kodwa bakhona abathi indlela aqhuba ngayo akusiyo ababeyikhangelele ngoba isimo sezemidlalo kweleZimbabwe singakhwabitheki.
UCalvin Ncube, ocubungula ezemidlalo, uthi ulethemba elokuba kunhlanganiso yeIOC engenza umsebenzi oncomekayo.
"Kwezombusazwe kunzima ukuthatha izinqumo ngoba nxa sikhangele umdlalo wethu njengelizwe kawuthuthuki njalo abantu abanengi ungani sebesola yena. Isimo sezombangazwe kweleZimbabwe senza kube nzima ukuthi athathe izinqumo kodwa nxa engangena kuIOC abe ngumongameli ezemidlalo zingathuthuka elizweni ngoba uyabe ekhuluma kuzwakale lezinqumo azithathayo zilandelwa," kutsho uNcube.
Owayengumdlali wenqindi uEzwell Ndlovu, laye uvumelana loNcube ukuba uCoventry engaphakamisa ezemidlalo nxa engakhethwa ukuba ngumongameli wenhlanganiso yeIOC.
"Angithandabuzi ukuba singathuthuka ngoba akula muntu owake wathi esekhuphukile akhohlwe lapho avela khona. Esikhathini esinengi nxa esephethe isikhundla kuhle kube lula lakunkokheli zemidlalo etshiyeneyo. Phezu kwalokho uyabe engamelanga thina sodwa njengeZimbabwe kodwa umhlubulo wonke wangezansi yezwekazi laseAfrica okutsho ukuba ezemidlalo zingathuthuka kakhulu kulumhlubulo," kutsho uNdlovu.
Abanye abaqanjwe ukuba bazancintisana loCoventry ngababalisa umdlali wokugijima olodumo owaseBritain uSebastian Coe, isizalwane selizwe leSpain uJuan Antonio Samaranch Jnr - yena ongumsekeli kamongameli weIOC osetshiya umsebenzi uThomas Bach, uJohan Eliasch owaseSweden- ongumongameli weInternational Ski Federation, isizalwane selizwe leFrance uDavid Lappartient - ongumongameli weInternational Cycling Union, uMorinari Watanabe waseJapan - ongumongameli weInternational Federation of Gymnastics, kanye loPrince Feisal Al Hussein waseJordan- olilunga lebhodi yeIOC.
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