Latest news with #SinesiphoDambile
Daily Maverick
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Tragedy of losing beloved uncle fuels SA sprinter Sinesipho Dambile's powerful return to form
The 23-year-old former junior world champion was rewarded with gold after fending off injury issues and losing his paternal uncle. It's been a whirlwind month for South African sprinter Sinesipho Dambile. In the build-up to his much-anticipated return to the South African Track and Field Championships after a lengthy injury lay-off, Dambile lost one of the most important people in his life – his paternal uncle. The relationship between the pair was no ordinary one: Dambile says he considered Zimnyamana Dambile his father because of the role the elder played in steering him down the right paths and constantly supporting him. He said if it were not for the influence of the senior Dambile – who had once harboured dreams of conquering the world with his feet too – he may not have gravitated towards athletics. Hence, when Dambile made a winning return to the sprinting circuit after recovering from injury by reclaiming the 200m national title, which he first won in 2022, he dedicated the victory to his late uncle. With the blessing of his family, Dambile had taken the tough decision to remain in Potchefstroom and compete in the race instead of attending the funeral in the Eastern Cape. In the end it proved to be a worthwhile sacrifice for the 23-year-old as he powered back after a slow start to overtake Naeem Jack, Abduraghmaan Karriem and Benjamin Richardson for gold, in a time of 20.11 seconds. This saw him qualify for the World Athletics Championships, which take place in Tokyo, Japan, in mid-September. It's all for him 'Everything I've been doing was for him, because of the support I always got from him. I got into the sport because of him. That's what he wanted me to do. I was good as a rugby player; I was good as a soccer player as well. 'So, all he wanted was me achieving my goals in track and field – that was once his goal too, growing up,' Dambile said. 'So, being able to go out there and perform at my best was also for him – for having him protecting and carrying me through the races. The races I've run [since he passed away] have been magical. I believe he has carried me, especially in the last 100m of that 200m race. I just got that boost and I didn't know where it was coming from. I'm definitely blessed,' Dambile added. In addition to his exceptional display individually on the national stage, Dambile took his early 2025 form to the global stage, helping South Africa to claim gold in the 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays in China. A team consisting of Dambile, Akani Simbine, Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana fended off competition from the US and Canada to earn their victory. Dambile says that apart from the tragedy of losing an important mentor, he is elated at how his year has started, especially after struggling with injury in 2024. 'I'm in a great space right now. After the nationals I flew straight home and spent some time with the family before I went to the training camp for the relays. I grieved and mentally it got me [in shape for the challenge of running in China]. I was ready and I knew I was going to perform at my best. 'I feel amazing being part of the guys that did the job in China. We had [great] preparation and we worked on certain things. Then we made no mistakes when we got there. We were ready and we did a great job with the guys. 'I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be able to go out there and perform, to run for my country and not just for myself,' Dambile continued. 'It's a bit more fun to run relays – there's less pressure because you have people that you trust around you. 'I'm now happier as a 200m sprinter, excited about the future, excited about going out there and giving out great performances.' Healthy competition Apart from the quartet that sprinted to gold in Guangzhou earlier this month, South Africa also has sprinters such as Shaun Maswanganyi (who was part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris), and 21-year-old Benjamin Richardson. Athletics South Africa's high-performance manager, Hezekiel Sepeng, believes this pool of short-distance runners has the potential to result in South Africa really entrenching itself in global sprinting in the build-up to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Dambile is a vital part of this. 'Dambile is in good shape this year. He's come in extremely good and he's very important for the team,' Sepeng said, before lauding the sprinter's commitment amid a tumultuous time. 'This started at the national championships, when he participated knowing at the back of his mind that there is a funeral at home. I know that after the national championships he went home to do some traditional things, to atone for not being there,' Sepeng said. 'For him to be there… he was a very important member of the team. 'We did not have Shaun Maswanganyi and Benjamin Richardson. And the back straight is a long straight, so you need somebody who can run at high speed for a very long time. So, ideally, you need somebody from the 200m background,' he explained. Bowling and relationship building Dambile grew up in the Eastern Cape township of Dimbaza before matriculating from TuksSport High School in Pretoria in 2019. The former 200m junior world champion counts compatriot Simbine as one of his role models and someone who plays the role of an older brother in his life. He says with all the excitement surrounding South Africa's current crop of runners, it's important that they foster healthy relationships even off the track. He plays a major part in facilitating these bonding sessions. 'I do a lot of bowling. I even attend tournaments. That's what I've always preached to the guys on the circuit – for the chemistry. I tell them let's go out bowling, have fun and just enjoy each other's company. 'That's what makes it easier to even run together, because off the track we still have relationships,' Dambile said. Having qualified for the global championships later this year, Dambile will continue to sharpen his skills over the next few months while also hoping to remain free from injury. Throughout this journey, the memory of his 'father' will be a constant motivator, as it was during his golden month. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
I promise, no more false starts, says Bayanda Walaza after South Africa's gold rush at World Relays
Gold medallists Bayanda Walaza, from right, Sinesipho Dambile, Akani Simbine and Bradley Nkoana won the men's 4x100m relay during the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China. Photo: AFP Image: afp The South African 4x100m relay team continued from where they left off at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, as they went a step further to claim the gold medal at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, a week ago. South Africa bagged an impressive tally of three medals (two golds and one bronze), and they will be one of the teams to watch out for in the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo this September. The other winners were the 4x400m men's team, who claimed gold, with the women's 4x400m team claiming an SA record-breaking (3:24.84) bronze-medal win. Part of a rising generation of South African sprinters, Walaza has moved from promising to proven – claiming world junior titles in the 100m and 200m, and adding an Olympic silver medal to his growing list of achievements. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Walaza was in the company of superstar and anchor Akani Simbine, Bradley Nkoana, and Sinesipho Dambile, and they were all thrown a curveball early on in the race before romping to a world-lead time of 37.61 seconds. 'I was at a point where I thought we could win this, and I was over-excited about it,' Walaza reflected on the race upon his arrival back home this week. The final almost turned into heartbreak for Walaza and his teammates when a potential false start by the 19-year-old threw their chances into doubt. But after a tense wait, they were cleared to compete as officials handed them a green card. 'I was too excited and started feeling fear. It overtook my body because I had so much adrenaline, and I was not used to it. I wanted to come out of the blocks fast as I knew we were capable of winning,' Walaza said. 'I thank the Lord that I didn't move the second time around. I wanted to move, but I reminded myself that the gun had not gone off. 'So, I could control how I was feeling then, and I am happy about it.' Walaza expressed his joy with the progress South Africa have made in recent years, particularly in relay events. But he emphasised the need to carry that success into individual competitions as well. 'As our teams have brought these medals, I also believe that it will bring in the spirit of wanting to bring medals as individuals. We can see that in our relay teams we are actually better than some of these countries,' he said. 'It also makes me want to attempt to get a medal individually. We must use the mentality we used in relays in our individual events, and we will be one of the best countries around.' Was there ever any doubt ? 😤 Team 🇿🇦 soars to victory in Guangzhou 🤯 37:61 and champions of the world ‼️‼️‼️‼️ — Athletics South Africa (@AthleticsSA_) May 11, 2025 The 19-year-old believes that from his wins and losses, he always takes away a lot of lessons that will help him as he continues to grow in the sport. 'Each and every time I qualify, I learn something new. I believe that this is the route the Lord is showing for me and the whole team. For me, getting these medals – I should use that as comfort to be more of myself,' Walaza said. 'Winning a medal can easily change who you are at some point. When I was in China, it was unexpected, but I had a huge fan group. 'Everyone wanted to take a selfie, and I felt like a star. 'But I am still learning and getting into that zone, and I promise not to have any false starts anymore.'
