Khotso Mokoena backs Luvo Manyonga for Commonwealth Games return
12th February 2026
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Khotso Mokoena believes Luvo Manyonga has what it takes to qualify for Team SA for the upcoming Commonwealth Games as he continues his comeback from a four-year doping ban.
Manyonga returned to competition after his suspension ended in December 2024 and has shown glimpses of his old form with a series of encouraging jumps.
With the qualifying standard set at 8.05m for the Games in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August, Mokoena is confident the former world champion can reach the mark.
Currently competing in Europe, Manyonga is targeting a breakthrough season and is determined to re-establish himself among the world’s best.
Mokoena, who won Olympic silver in Beijing in 2008, says he is encouraged by the renewed hunger and positivity shown by the 35-year-old.
“It’s nice to see him getting back on his feet. The good thing about Luvo, beyond the medals and success he has achieved over the years, is his ability to pick himself up and continue the fight,” Mokoena told SABC Sport.
“I’m following his progress and watching him develop back into the great athlete he is. What excites me most is seeing him positive again, because without that it’s tough to return to this life. Long jump is a mental event; it’s not just about jumping. You need to be strong in the head and Luvo seems to have that at the moment.
He will come back and make the Commonwealth Games, which is the start he needs.”
South Africa once dominated the long jump, with Manyonga at his peak and Ruswahl Samaai consistently finishing on the podium at major championships. But Mokoena believes the discipline has lost its spark in recent years.
Jovan van Vuuren and Cheswill Johnson, who have shared national titles in recent seasons, have struggled to translate domestic success onto the global stage, failing to reach finals at major international championships.
Manyonga has already set his sights on reclaiming the national title at the South African Senior Championships in Stellenbosch in April as part of his rebuilding process.
“The talent is there, but a lot needs to be done to revive long jump. For me, it is dead at the moment, but it can still be revived,” said a concerned Mokoena.
