Muzala Samukonga excited to race in SA at the Simbine Classics

The Continental Silver Tour Challenger event, founded by South Africa’s sprint star Akani Simbine, is already creating excitement, with the main programme scheduled to run from 3:45pm to 6pm.

Samukonga arrives in South Africa in great form after an impressive performance at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi over the weekend.

He clocked a season’s best time of 44.55 seconds to finish second behind South Africa’s Zakhithi Nene, who successfully defended his title in 44.50 seconds.

Now, the 23-year-old will line up against Nene once again, but this time in a different and unfamiliar race and the 300m. 

It will be Samukunga’s first time competing in South Africa and also his debut in the 300m event. 

He will face a strong field that includes newly crowned South African champion Lythe Pillay, Nigeria’s Udeme Okon, and other international athletes.  

Despite the challenge, Samukunga is embracing the opportunity with confidence and excitement.

“I accepted the invitation to race in South Africa because of my relationship with Akani Simbine. I wanted to come here and support him and be part of something special,” Samukonga told SABC Sport.

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Although the 300m is new territory for him, the Zambian star believes his 400m strength will help him adapt quickly.

“This will be my first time running the 300m, but I don’t think it will be difficult to adjust. It’s close to 400m, and I believe I can do it,” he said.

Reflecting on his recent race in Kenya, Samukonga admitted he surprised himself with his performance. 

“Running in Nairobi was amazing. It was my season opener, and I didn’t expect that time because I wasn’t pushing too hard. I hadn’t been training at home as much, so I was really surprised by the result,” he explained.

Samukonga is one of the rising stars in African athletics, but he says the journey has not been easy. 

In Zambia, football remains the dominant sport, and athletes in other codes often struggle for recognition and support.

“It’s a bit difficult because most of the attention is on football. There is not much support for other sports, but I am doing this for myself. I don’t rely on the government or the federation, and I pay for my own career,” he said.

He also pointed out the financial challenges of competing internationally, especially in Europe, where many top events are held.

“It’s expensive to travel to Europe, so coming to South Africa is much easier for us. It’s closer to home and gives us a great opportunity to compete,” he added.

Samukonga’s rivalry with Nene is also starting to build, adding extra excitement to today’s race.

“I’m happy that we are pushing each other. He said he would smoke me, so let’s wait and see what happens at Pilditch Stadium,” he said with a smile.

With top talent on display and a unique race distance, fans can expect an exciting showdown as Samukunga takes on a new challenge on South African soil.