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Pretoria’s young superstar crowned junior world champion

There is no longer any doubt – Pretoria schoolboy and Olympic star athlete, Bayanda Walaza, is the world's fastest teenager.

4 hours ago
Koos Venter 3 minutes read
Bayanda Walaza (middle) runs first across the finish line in the 100m final at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Peru. Photo: World Athletics

Pretoria’s super schoolboy athlete, Bayanda Walaza, lived up to his reputation as the world’s fastest teenager when he was crowned 100m champion at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru on Thursday morning.

The 18-year-old Walaza won the race in a time of 10.19s, while another South African and former Tuks Sports School pupil, Bradley Nkoana, won the bronze medal in a time of 10.26s. Nkoana is currently a student at the North West University in Potchefstroom.

Walaza and Nkoana’s achievement comes less than one month after they were – as juniors – both part of the South African men’s 4x100m relay team, which won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.

With this performance in Peru, Walaza proved that he not only has the physical ability to become a superstar on the athletics track, but also has the necessary BMT and that he is psychologically strong enough to be able to focus on his goals.

This matriculant of the Curro Hazeldean school in the East of Pretoria’s social and official schedule since he returned from the Olympic Games will make many a merry go round ride look like child’s play.

After having a hero’s reception at his school, during which he was able to share the glory of his Olympic medal with his schoolmates and his mother, he had to plan his time carefully to leave for Peru with the SA juniors a week later.

Meanwhile, there were a lot of media interviews and social invitations by dignitaries and sponsors.

To become junior world champion, he had to get back on the athletics track to train as soon as possible, but in the meantime, he also had to prepare for the matric prelim exam, which awaits him when he returns from South America.

Walaza’s coach, Thabo Matebedi, who is known among his athletes as ‘Coach T’, told Rekord that this young star has a particularly ‘strong head’.

“He is sometimes just a teenage boy, who likes to eat hamburgers and relax among his friends. But when he trains, he does it with dedication,” said Matebedi.

Matebedi revealed that Walaza, who can pick and choose among the local and international offers he has already received, has chosen to enrol as a student at the University of Pretoria next year. One of the most important reasons is that he still wants to train under Matebedi’s guidance.

According to Matebedi, Walaza can soon break through the 10s barrier and he believes that in the future this young star can also challenge Akani Smibine’s SA record of 9.82s.

“Sprinters only reach their best form between 25 and 30. If Bayanda can stay injury-free and committed, I believe he can make the SA record his own in the future,” Matebedi noted.

After his triumph in Peru, Walaza thanked Curro for making it possible for his coach to travel with him to the Olympic Games where his individual preparations for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships continued alongside his work with Team SA.

“This year my goal was to do well at the Junior World Championships. I always travel with Coach T and I would like to thank my school for all the support they have given me. My school pays for him to travel with me, which helps me not to panic. So, for example, I was going to panic if I had to go to Paris alone, but thankfully Coach T was with me because I still had to do my sessions for the World Championships,” Walaza concluded.

 

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4 hours ago
Koos Venter 3 minutes read
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