Hazekiel Sepeng predicts rise in indoor events among South Africa runners

Sekgodiso set a national record of 1:59.88 in the women’s 800m, while Tshite broke the men’s mile record with a time of 3:54.10. 

As the duo prepare for next month’s World Indoor Championships in China, Sepeng feels their record-breaking exploits will spark greater interest in indoor competition across the country.

"People have started knowing now that there's a national record there [in indoor], and they will start having interest in doing indoors and performing," said Sepeng.

"Before, nobody knew what is this competition, you would just hear that there's a competition and it's indoors, but it was not put in [the forefront], where everybody could know about it.

"Now because Tshepo and them are breaking records, they are seeing them live on TV, and I remember even myself – a long time ago, we sent a team and I qualified for that team, but I didn't know what indoor was.

"I had to go on a bridge and try to run the bend just to get used to it, but nowadays at least athletes can go overseas and people can see it, so some people are interested.

"You'll find somebody is fast over 60m so they are interested in doing it, and I think that will increase and we will do well [in indoor events] in future."

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