Latest news with #Sepeng
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Hezekiel Sepeng, Athletics SA, backs Akani Simbine, local talent to medal at World Athletics Championships
Athletics South Africa's Head of Performance, Hezekiel Sepeng, is optimistic about the nation's chances in the upcoming World Athletics Championships and next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. The 50-year-old Sepeng, who claimed silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the men's 800m, said ASA was now working better with its athletes and it was beginning to show on the track. Led by Akani Simbine, the SA men's 4x100m relay team claimed silver at the Paris Olympics last year. That relay team saw the world take notice of the young stars coming up in SA sprinting with Bayanda Walaza, Bradley Nkoana, and Shaun Maswanganyi forming the four-man team. Walaza (19), Nkoana (20), and Maswanganyi (24) will certainly be around for the next Olympics, and Simbine at 31 is still setting the standards of SA sprinting on the global stage in 2025. "The athletes are doing very well. If you go back a few years, if you compare it to now, we're sitting with athletes now that are, come 2028, they will be possible medallists. We are one step ahead of the other countries. But it's only a matter of planning because the main goal here is the September World Champs in Tokyo. But overall, the athletes are doing very well, and I think we are in the right space when it comes to the performance of the athletes," Sepeng told "The relationship between the athletes and the federation is in the right space. We listen to the athletes, and they share their goals with us. We needed to blend together. We need to get to that level where we are definitely confident for medals at the World Champs or the Olympics in 2028.' Simbine has the fastest 100m time in the world this year so far, with his 9.90 seconds he clocked in Gaborone, Botswana, on April 12. The 31-year-old Simbine is also unbeaten in five races now, following his victory in the Diamond League in Rabat on Sunday. His time in Rabat of 9.95 was well ahead of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.05) in second and Fred Kerley (10.07) in third. Meanwhile, Walaza, having turned 19 in February, and despite his ungainly running style, he just keeps producing faster times. On Saturday, Walaza clocked 9.94 at the Boris Hankezovic Memorial meeting in Zagreb. It's yet another SA junior record, and he tied the fourth fastest time ever run by a South African. It's also the third fastest time in the world this year. Sepeng said the success of the men's relay team has been inspirational. "If you look at 2016, where we had Caster, Luvo Manyonga and Wayde, they were medallists at the Olympic Games and World Champs. After them, it faded. We introduced the relays because we thought that we could fast-track some of the athletes who cannot make the qualifying standards," said Sepeng. "We thought, let's put them in the relay, they can still go to World Champs in the relays and that kind of motivated them. I think one of the things that really motivated them was the four-by-one relays at the Olympic Games with the two young stars." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Hezekiel Sepeng, Athletics SA, backs Akani Simbine, local talent to medal at World Athletics Championships
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Athletics South Africa's Head of Performance Hezekiel Sepeng, is confident in their stars like Akani Simbine (centre) and Bayanda Walaza to secure medals at the upcoming World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Olympics. Picture: AFP Walaza (19), Nkoana (20), and Maswanganyi (24) will certainly be around for the next Olympics, and Simbine at 31 is still setting the standards of SA sprinting on the global stage in 2025. Led by Akani Simbine , the SA men's 4x100m relay team claimed silver at the Paris Olympics last year. That relay team saw the world take notice of the young stars coming up in SA sprinting with Bayanda Walaza , Bradley Nkoana, and Shaun Maswanganyi forming the four-man team. The 50-year-old Sepeng, who claimed silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the men's 800m, said ASA was now working better with its athletes and it was beginning to show on the track. Athletics South Africa's Head of Performance, Hezekiel Sepeng , is optimistic about the nation's chances in the upcoming World Athletics Championships and next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. South African Athletes Poised for 2028 Olympic Success, Says Sepeng "The athletes are doing very well. If you go back a few years, if you compare it to now, we're sitting with athletes now that are, come 2028, they will be possible medallists. We are one step ahead of the other countries. But it's only a matter of planning because the main goal here is the September World Champs in Tokyo. But overall, the athletes are doing very well, and I think we are in the right space when it comes to the performance of the athletes," Sepeng told "The relationship between the athletes and the federation is in the right space. We listen to the athletes, and they share their goals with us. We needed to blend together. We need to get to that level where we are definitely confident for medals at the World Champs or the Olympics in 2028.' Simbine has the fastest 100m time in the world this year so far, with his 9.90 seconds he clocked in Gaborone, Botswana, on April 12. The 31-year-old Simbine is also unbeaten in five races now, following his victory in the Diamond League in Rabat on Sunday. His time in Rabat of 9.95 was well ahead of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.05) in second and Fred Kerley (10.07) in third. Meanwhile, Walaza, having turned 19 in February, and despite his ungainly running style, he just keeps producing faster times. On Saturday, Walaza clocked 9.94 at the Boris Hankezovic Memorial meeting in Zagreb. It's yet another SA junior record, and he tied the fourth fastest time ever run by a South African. It's also the third fastest time in the world this year. Sepeng said the success of the men's relay team has been inspirational. "If you look at 2016, where we had Caster, Luvo Manyonga and Wayde, they were medallists at the Olympic Games and World Champs. After them, it faded. We introduced the relays because we thought that we could fast-track some of the athletes who cannot make the qualifying standards," said Sepeng. "We thought, let's put them in the relay, they can still go to World Champs in the relays and that kind of motivated them. I think one of the things that really motivated them was the four-by-one relays at the Olympic Games with the two young stars." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
TimesLIVE
23-05-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Joburg man makes gym weights from recycled plastic
Milton Sepeng, a 32-year-old man from Johannesburg, has transformed his passion for fitness into a business after losing his job in 2023. With gym membership and equipment becoming unaffordable, Sepeng turned to innovation, creating gym weights from recycled plastic waste. 'I have always been passionate about gym since high school,' he said. 'My story started when I lost my job in 2023, I could no longer afford gym membership nor buy gym equipment as I had no money at all. Every rand I could come up with went towards food and data, I also relied on the R350 grant.' He said the idea was inspired by an article about two women from the Free State who manufactured building bricks from plastic waste. 'I thought that as it is possible for cement to make homemade gym weights and bricks, maybe recycled plastic can also make gym weights. That's when I started doing my research and finally found a method to do it. I got together a few scrap materials to make the mould, then I made my first gym plate/weight. It wasn't perfect, but I had done it.' After using the weights himself, Sepeng saw potential for a business, catering to individuals who couldn't afford traditional gym equipment. 'I got together a couple of thousand to buy basic tools, and that's how I started manufacturing and selling gym weights made from plastic waste.'
