Curro High School sends Bayanda Walaza’s coach to the Olympics

Walaza will compete in the 4x100m relay starting Thursday morning at Stade de France.

Matibedi, head of the school’s high-performance in sports and coach of the 19-year-old – Team South Africa’s youngest Olympian in Paris – will be on hand to support him during his Olympics debut. The school’s decision ensures that Matibedi can be close to Walaza for his big moment.

"We have enough support from Curro Holdings as a whole, I mean they're trying their best. Even now I'm going to the Olympics, the school has already paid for my flight and accommodation for me to take care of him," Matibedi said.

"It seems like it's about him but the support to take your coach there because it can also be very expensive. If you look at the bigger picture here, I think Curro understands the athletics, and the support that we need to give the boy.

“I mean he's only 18 he needs somebody that he trusts, he needs somebody that will make sure that he studies at the Olympics because he is in Grade 12. He needs to come back and do his preliminary [exams]."

Matebedi, a coach with 18 years of experience and a Level 3 coaching badge, comes from Atteridgeville township and coached big stars like Shaun Maswanganyi, Anaso Jobodwana, Gift Leotlela, Sinesipho Dambile, and Clerance Munyai.

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He began coaching Walaza last year and is convinced that the boy possesses a God-given talent.

"Firstly, I will be honest with you, I didn't want to work with Bayanda because he was already winning, he had already won the SA Champs under18, 100 metres and 200 metres but then me and Bayanda sat down and they gave me the background of Bayanda and training of Bayanda. I looked at his training and said he can be better," he added.

"This is God-given talent that's why he performs like this but if he gets a good coach, he'll be better. My relationship with Bayanda, we are consistently fighting about academics, he's only 18 years but the one thing I can tell you about that boy, he's got a work ethic. Once he steps on the track, it doesn't matter if the coach says it's 200m x10 he's going to go for it. He's very disciplined when it comes to that."