Athletics talent Bayanda Walaza turned down a US scholarship to work with his coach

South Africa’s 18-year-old sensation Bayanda Walaza has turned down a US scholarship to stay home and work with his coach Thabo Matebedi.

It seems he is taking heed of Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo’s advice to African sprinters not to be lured into American training camps. The teenage sprinter has decided to continue working with Thabo Matebedi, who will enter her third year in 2025.

Thabo Matebedi has been working with Bayanda Walaza since she was 15 and he already has an Olympic silver medal, having been part of South Africa’s 4x100m relay team that finished second at the Paris 2024 Games.

Bayanda Walaza capped off a great year with two gold medals in the 100m and 200m at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, in August.

“After achieving success early in their careers, many athletes feel the need to work with so-called ‘Big name’ coaches, but these coaches often fail to truly understand them”, said Thabo Matebedi. “Take someone like Akani Simbine, he has been with his coach for 15 years and their strong bond speaks volumes. Breaking that bond can make everything more challenging. I would love to coach Bayanda Walaza for as long as he is willing to work with me.

“Usain Bolt stayed with his coach until he quit, why can’t I do the same? I could coach Bayanda Walaza until he quit. Over the past seven years, I have seen the value of building close relationships with my athletes. We learned how to communicate effectively and I developed a fatherly role with them. We share a great relationship, filled with laughter and fun”, added he.