SA athletes gear up for national championships

Top athletes Akani Simbine (six-time SA 100m champion), Wayde van Niekerk (Olympic Games and world 400m record holder, and two-time world champion), Ruswahl Samaai (three-time African long champion), Prudence Sekgodiso (800m and 1500m champion), Zeney van der Walt (400m hurdles champion and SA athlete of the year), Kyle Blignaut (Shotput champion) and Nkosinathi Sibiya (1500m champion) are the star attraction at the three-day event.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) President James Moloi told SABC Sport about his excitement ahead of the senior national championships.

Moloi urged spectators to buy tickets to see the best talent that SA athletics can offer.

“The preparations for the big event have gone well. Tomorrow Potch will be on fire. Every athlete must compete in the national championships, and all the big names confirmed their availability for the event. It is an opportunity for the athletes to attempt to qualify for the World Senior Championships in Hungary later this year. We expect fast times and records to tumble at the event,” said Moloi.

Lythe Pillay, 20, will run in the national event for the first time as a senior, having won every title as a junior, including the world under-20 400m championships final in Cali, Colombia, in 2022.

“It is a perfect opportunity for a youngster like Pillay to rub shoulders against their hero Wayde van Niekerk. It is a mix of young and experienced as we are keeping one eye on the future,” said Moloi.

While the spotlight will be on the sprinters, the 1500m will be an epic battle between Nksonathi Sibiya, Tshepo Tshite, and Ryan Maphahlele.

Sibiya is the four-time 1500m national champion and is out to defend his title.

But Tshite is the favourite this year, and Mphahlele is a genuine contender to win the 1500m final.

“It is difficult to pick a race or an event, and all of them are important. The sprinters are on fire, the long jumpers are improving, and the middle-distance runners are up there and can compete against the best in the world. Our field events keep on improving,” Moloi said. 

After the national championships, Potch will host the Grand Prix, Continental Tour Challenger on 26 April.

“There are plenty of opportunities for the athletes to run qualifying times. We have three Grand Prix series in Potch, Tshwane, and Johannesburg, including the Gold label meeting in Botswana next month,” explained Moloi.