Teenage sprinter Bayanda Walaza aiming to emulate idol Akani Simbine

The 100m and 200m under-18 champion will compete alongside Simbine, Benjamin Richardson, Bradley Nkoana, and Shaun Maswanganyi.

Simbine, a seven-time national champion and two-time Olympic Games 100m finalist, is a beacon of inspiration for the 18-year-old Grade 12 pupil at Curro High School in Tshwane, who dreams of achieving similar success in his own career.

"I have many idols in athletics, but the one I put first now is Akani Simbine because what he's done is something big for a South Africa," said Walaza.

"No one ever thought there would be an athlete from South Africa who would be on the world stage and compete against USA and Jamaica – and he pulled up and showed people he didn't do it once, he always does it.

"And, for him on the world stage, he was always number four – and it shows that he was consistent with everything he's doing, he pushed and is the only South African to last until the final [of major events], so he's a big deal – he's carrying the South Africa at this point."

Walaza, who played a crucial role in securing the relay team’s spot at the World Relay Senior Championships in the Bahamas in May, began speaking with Simbine during the 2023 competition, and now regularly converses with the 30-year-old.

"I started communicating with him in the Bahamas because I was scared to talk to him. But after talking to him [for the first time], I found out that he's a cool person and he also likes me a lot," he added.

"Now we always talk – on Instagram, sometimes we both go live, and it's good conversation between myself and him."

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