Dusi seeding starts with Umpetha Challenge
The race for top seedings for the Dusi begins in earnest with the Umpetha Challenge on 8 November.
THE Dusi Canoe Marathon season is fast approaching and the race for top seedings begins in earnest with the Umpetha Challenge with defending champion and current K2 Dusi Canoe Marathon champion Sbonelo Khwela and his partner Banetse Nkhoesa eyeing it as the start of their 2016 preparation when the unique one day race takes place from Camps Drift to the Bishopstowe Farmers Hall on 8 November.
The race, former known as the NCC Development Race, has taken on a new identity since it its name change in 2014 and with the race following the same championship format as the Dusi Canoe Marathon year on year. EuroSteel/Red Bull star Khwela will return with the young and exciting Nkhoesa in 2015 to defend the K2 title he and Euro Steel’s Andy Birkett won two years ago.
The pair have been training hard together over the past few months as they both look towards the 2016 Dusi however Khwela was disappointed by the duo’s performance at the recent SA K2 Championships at the Hansa Fish River Canoe Marathon.
With the Umpetha providing many crews with their first hit out of the 2016 Dusi season, Khwela expects there to be a number of top crews on the water for the race with the Umpetha Challenge being more than just a race for the 2014 Dusi Canoe Marathon champion.
“It is always a tough race with some really good crews taking part so if we win it will be a great first result for us and will take a bit of pressure off us going forward towards Dusi,” he said.
With a favourable seeding for the 2016 Dusi on the line, Khwela understands the importance of getting their summer season off to a good start at the Umpetha Challenge.
However, with a few weeks away from the boat on the cards for the pair, he is not putting too much pressure on himself or Nkhoesa going into the new season.
“It would be a bonus to come first at Umpetha but it will be the first time that Banetse and I will be running with the boat and the finish is on a portage so we will just have to see how it goes. Not having run together we will need a bit of time to get ourselves running fit but what better race to start our Dusi training than the Umpetha Challenge?” he enthused.
