Akani Simbine – It was a successful day for South African athletics

As the founder and organiser of the Continental Tour Silver Challenger meeting, Simbine admitted he felt relieved and emotional after seeing his vision come to life. The event attracted top athletes and a strong crowd, which exceeded his expectations.

He said what started as a dream turned into something much bigger, inspiring many South Africans to believe in their own dreams.

"I'm happy today went well and that we made it a success. The stands were full, the event was broadcasted, the kids could see their dreams become a reality, we had our athletes running against international stars - can't ask for anything more."

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The Commonwealth Games gold medallist was given a hero’s welcome, lifted by the Tuks rugby team while schoolchildren waved placards celebrating him.

With a packed stadium behind him, an emotional Simbine soaked in the moment and shared his ambition to one day bring a Diamond League meeting to South Africa.

"I'm just really grateful that everyone is believing in this story and knows that something like this is possible and that we can do great things. I'm confident that we can grow this thing. We have to start somewhere, and this was the start of it," explained Simbine. 

On the track, the world indoor 60m bronze medallist opened his season in strong fashion, clocking 9.98 seconds in the 100m semi-finals. 

The time was good enough to secure automatic qualification for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, leaving him pleased with his early form.

There was a moment of concern in the final when the 32-year-old Tembisa-born sprinter finished last, raising fears of an injury. 

However, Simbine later reassured fans that it was only cramping and not a serious issue.

He confirmed that he is still set to compete at the World Relay Championships in Botswana this weekend.

"It wasn't a niggle, I was just cramping. The false start shook my body and then after that my body just said no and I just started cramping. I know the World Relays are coming up so that's why I ended up jogging through and I needed to make sure that my body is healthy and I'm okay. My body just needs to recover that's all."