Latest news with #USSA
The Citizen
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: A flailing and bobbing rocket, Bayanda Walaza is on the rise
This season, 19-year-old Walaza has already secured a gold medal at the World Relays and twice broken the SA junior 100m record. Bayanda Walaza in action for Tshwane University of Technology at the USSA national student championships in Pretoria earlier this month. Picture: Cecilia van Bers/Gallo Images When I first saw Bayanda Walaza run, my initial thought was 'this kid isn't gonna make it'. His raw talent was clear, but in every other way, he was all wrong. When Walaza hits top speed, his arms start flailing and his head begins bobbing, and he doesn't display anything you want to see in a sprinter. But one thing I've learned from watching Walaza run is that technique can be deceptive. The 19-year-old prodigy is super quick out the blocks, and when he hits his stride he is bizarrely efficient. Last season he won a historic 100m/200m double at the World U20 Championships and helped the SA 4x100m relay team earn the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Future star? However, raw talent only takes an athlete so far, and the reality is that most junior stars don't make it at senior level. So coming into the 2025 season, I expected Walaza to hit a plateau and ultimately vanish into obscurity, as so many do. Oh how glad I am, at least on this occasion, to have been proved wrong. Opting not to fiddle too much with Walaza's style, his coach Thabo Matebedi seems to have made a wise decision by allowing him to run naturally. If Walaza was great last year, this season he has been spectacular. Superb season thus far Already in 2025, he has formed part of the quartet who won gold in the 4x100m final at the World Athletics Relays, and he has twice broken the SA junior 100m record, lowering the mark to 9.94 in Zagreb at the weekend (just 0.05 outside the world U20 record). It might seem premature to suggest he could be the next global sprinting superstar, but Walaza's early progress has been impressive, and he is remarkably consistent. Both a polite young man and a ball of raging energy, he also has the character to become a crowd favourite across the world, and he could be a wonderful ambassador for our country. How he does it, with flailing arms and a bobbing head, is far less important than what he does, and Walaza already has the medals and records to show he has what it takes.
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
KwaMhlushwa hip-hop artist receives feedback on soothing EP
A hip-hop musician, born into a musical environment, aims to heal hearts through his new EP. Prince Khoza, widely known by his stage name, Don Pressure, released his EP, titled Healing, five months ago. The EP has four songs and he said he worked on it for three years with the aim of releasing a full album. Unforeseen circumstances led him to release this project as an EP instead. 'I have received great feedback from listeners who say this EP has helped them deal with life's challenges. I am grateful that my story of healing is helping other people,' Khoza said. He was exposed to hip hop at a young age, as it was frequently listened to by many of his relatives, but his passion for music is largely drawn from the church. ALSO READ: Young Masoyi man empowers youth with resources to boost academics 'I am a pastor's child and the church environment provided me with exposure to a variety of musical instruments. I played drums at church and I still enjoy being a drummer,' said Khoza. In 2024, he collaborated with an American rapper, TorchMics, on a song titled 'USSA'. Khoza said the concept of the song was based on the commonalities between the United States and South Africa. The song was released late November last year. 'We painted vivid pictures of our respective countries and why we believe these are among the best countries in the world,' he said. ALSO READ: Rugby player jetting off to Italy to realise his dreams Khoza strives to reach international stages and to collaborate with renowned artists and producers. He also hopes to be able to give back to his community and invest in the dreams of young talent. His EP is available on all digital music platforms. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
