ICOMRADES Marathon Association (CMA) isibuyekeze isimo sayo mayelana nokubamba iqhaza kwabasubathi abangagomile kuComrades Marathon ka-2022 ngemuva kokuthi uMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa ememezele izinguquko emigomeni yeCovid-19.
USihlalo we-CMA, uMqondisi Ngcobo, weluleke ngokuthi usoseshini uzovumela abasubathi abangagonyiwe ukuthi baqhubeke nokungenela iComrades ka-2022 ngaphansi kwemibandela yokuthi baveze ubufakazi bokuthi bahloliwe ukuthi abanayo yini i-COVID-19 engakapheli amahora angu-72 ngosuku lomjaho weComrades, ngezindleko zabo. Imithetho efanayo izosebenza kubo bonke abagijimi, amavolontiya kanye nezivakashi zoMbukiso Wezinsuku ezintathu we-Comrades, ohlelelwe isonto lomjaho (August 25-27, 2022). UNgcobo uphinde weluleka ngokuthi i-CMA izoqhubeka nokuhambisana nemithetho kahulumeni, esebenza zikhathi zonke, ukuze kuvikelwe impilo nokuphepha kwabagijimi, abalandeli, izikhulu kanye nomphakathi wonkana. Uma kwenzeka izimiso zikahulumeni noma imigomo ye-Athletics South Africa (ASA) ishintsha ngaphambi kosuku lomjaho, i-CMA nayo izosebenzisa imithethonqubo esebenza ngaleso sikhathi.
I-CMA ithe ingxenye yemithetho ebuyekeziwe isho ukuthi abagijimi ngeke kudingeke ukuthi bagqoke isifonyo lapho bengaphandle kanye nemigomo ebekiwe yokuhlangana komphakathi. Abasubathi be-Comrades bamazwe ngamazwe kudingeka baveze ubufakazi bokugoma noma ukuhlolwa kwe-PCR okungenayo i-PCR engekho ngaphezu kwamahora angu-72 lapho bengena ezweni, kuyilapho zonke izivakashi ezingagonyiwe eNingizimu Afrika zizonikezwa ukugoma ngesikhathi zifika, uma zithanda kanjalo. I-95th Comrades Marathon izokuba ngeSonto mhla ka-28 August. Lo mjaho webanga lika-90.2km uqala ehholo ledolobha laseMgungundlovu ngo-5.30 ekuseni uphele ngemuva kwamahora angu-12 eMoses Mabhida Stadium, eThekwini. Lokhu kuzobe kungoka-47 emlandweni weComrades.
NgoLwesibili olwedlule, i-CMA ithe okokuqala ngqa eminyakeni engu-46 yasakazwa kumabonakude, iComrades Marathon izokhonjiswa kuSuperSport. Lo mjaho ozokuba ngeSonto, Agasti 28, 2022, ngemva kokukhanselwa iminyaka emibili edlule. I-Athletics South Africa (ASA) yenze isimemezelo sokusebenzisana neSuperSport iminyaka emine emcimbini wokwethulwa eGoli muva nje. Ngokwesivumelwano okufinyelelwe kuso, ukusakazwa kweComrades Marathon kuzotholakala kubalandeli beSuperSport ezwenikazi lonke kuwo wonke amaphakheji, ukuqinisekisa ukubandakanywa nokusabalala. Ngosuku lomjaho, iSuperSport izobe isakaza bukhoma kusukela ngo-5 ekuseni njengoba kuzobe kulindeleke ukuthi iComrades isuke ngo-5.30 ekuseni. Kuzoqhutshekwa nokusakazwa bukhoma kuze kuphele amahora angu-12 eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngo-5.30 ntambama, lapho ithimba leSuperSport lizobe liwugoqa lo mdlalo liqale ngo-6 ntambama. Umqondisi womjaho we-CMA u-Rowyn James uthe: “Sijabule kakhulu ukuqinisekisa ukuthi iComrades Marathon izothokozela ukudlala bukhoma amahora angu-13 ngeSonto, Agasti 28, 2022.
Sibonga i-ASA ngokuphothula lesi sivumelwano nokuqinisekisa ukuthi iComrades Marathon futhi abaxhasi bayo bathola i-airtime yethelevishini edingekayo ewufanele kakhulu lo mdlalo.” “ISuperSport yaziwa ngokukhiqiza izinga eliphezulu emhlabeni, kanti i-CMA ibheke ngabomvu ukuthi umsakazi wezemidlalo othile azokwethula lokho ukuze athuthukise iphrofayili yeComrades Marathon enababukeli abaningi.” “Njenge-CMA, sijabule kakhulu ngokuthi sikwazile ukusingatha lo mjaho ngemuva kokumiswa iminyaka emibili. Ngokuhlanganyela nekomiti elihlela imijaho yeComrades nazo zonke izinhlaka esibambisene nazo, sihlela usuku olumangalisayo lokugijima ku-ultra-road kubasubathi bethu,” kuphetha uJames.
