A HARROWING stabbing attack has left canoeing rising star, Banetse Nkhoesa, in a race against time to salvage his 2016 FNB Dusi title bid with Euro Steel teammate, Sbonelo Khwela.
Nkhoesa was the victim of a knifing attack at his Shongweni Valley home, which left him with serious injuries to his scapula and surrounding muscles and putting his much-talked-about FNB Dusi title challenge in jeopardy.
While refusing to dwell on the apparently random attack, Nkhoesa is trying to find the mental strength to stay focused on his dream of winning the FNB Dusi doubles title with his idol, Khwela.
Nkhoesa said it was the best day of his life as he had managed to beat Eric (Sbonelo Khwela) for the first time in a club time trial.
A few hours later, he was bandaged with drains emerging from his injured shoulder following the late-night attack.
“It is not a great situation to lose 15 days at this stage in our Dusi training. All I want to do is hurry up the recovery so that we can get back to training. Right now I can’t do anything.”
Nkhoesa is a member of the Elite Athlete Development programme, which is run by the KZN Department of Sport and Recreation at the Prime HPI facility at Moses Mabhida Stadium, where the team of doctors and medical experts swung into action to help the injured youngster.
Khwela and Nkhoesa have been the early FNB Dusi season pace-setters, winning numerous races, including key Dusi seeding races like the Umpetha Challenge.
The FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon takes place from Camps Drift, Pietermaritzburg to Blue Lagoon, Durban from 18 to 20 February.
