Luvo Manyonga awaiting World Athletics permission to return to sport

The 33-year-old Olympic silver medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, is currently serving a four-year ban from all forms of the sport, which was handed down by the world athletics governing body in 2020 for a drug violation.

Manyonga has since relocated to the Eastern Cape town, previously known as Queenstown, to start afresh, but required clearance from Athletics South Africa (ASA) and the global governing body before returning to the sport.

"I moved to Queenstown, there's a college called Queens College those people approached me to support them in coaching long jump and they have a new track there that is approved by international athletics. So, they are still waiting for a letter from ASA to approve because I'm still under suspension so they don't want to want to make a conflict of the rules and regulations of the WADA. So, I think by next week they will be getting a letter that they can work with me," Manyonga said.

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Having lost all his earnings from the sport due to his drug addiction, Manyonga insists he has managed to hold onto his treasured Olympic medal and Diamond League trophy.

"My medals and my trophies are still tucked in a safe place but I just need to go get them and dust them off and prepare for the new ones," he added.

Manyonga has advised young athletes not to follow the path he walked, wasting their earnings on alcohol and drugs, and further urged them to take care of their health and finances.

"I cannot say much, I just want to say they mustn't live the way I lived my life before that's the only thing I can say to them. I'm a living example that you cannot take money for granted because money can change your mind and make you a different person and think you are over the world but I just wanna say they mustn't live the life I lived."