KZN’S BONGINKHOSI CHAMP

MBABANE – Like English Premiership runners-up Liverpool, he has that ‘never give up’ attitude.

That is how best to describe the never-say-die spirit of South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal-born athlete Bonginkhosi Mavuso, who was the eventual winner of the second edition of the Eswatini JM Busha Race. The South African runner managed to shake off his strong competitors in his fellow countryman Abednego Mashaba and Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force runner, Michael Ndaba, to win the 21km race which started and finished at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground yesterday.

Worth noting is that Ndaba, last week managed to outrun Mavuso in the inaugural edition of the VOC Half Marathon which was staged at Zakhele Sports Ground in Manzini, the hub of Eswatini. Mavuso was close to winning in the last five kilometres but the army athlete overtook him in the last three to pocket the E1 500 first prize. The JM Busha race was round two for Mavuso and Ndaba who had unfinished business from the previous weekend. The former beat Ndaba outright this time around but the time he clocked was yet to be confirmed by the organisers, who assured to compile full results and send for publication once ready. Coming second was Mashaba with Ndaba on third.

comeback win

It was a comeback win for Mavuso – just the same way Liverpool did it against Spain’s LA Liga giants Barcelona in the EUFA Champions League second leg quarter-final, beating them 4-0 to overturn a 3-0 first leg deficit against all odds. Mavuso took home the E3 054 first prize while the runner-up received E2 554 with Ndaba settling for the third prize which was worth E1 554.

Mavuso said it was sweet revenge for him as he beat Ndaba a week later in his home soil.
“It did not go down well with me when I didn’t win the race last week. I had to train hard for this race. I covered a distance of 50km when training in my home country. I knew I would win this race and Ndaba could not compete with me this time around,” he said.
When asked about the route, he said it was tough as it had more hills but he maintained the same pace for the entire race. Ndaba admitted that he lost to a better athlete on the day.

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