Bayanda Walaza: Humility means everything to me

Walaza snapped up the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Athletics Championship title after storming to victory in the men’s 100m final in 10.00 seconds at Pilditch Stadium on Thursday.

The 19-year-old was closely followed by Kyle Zinn of University of the Western Cape (10.13) and Bradley Nkoana from North-West University (10.17), and reflected on his continued success in recent weeks.

“It was a great race, and I lined up against some of the top university athletes. I really enjoyed it, it was a good run and another automatic qualifying time," Walaza told SABC Sport.

“The atmosphere and level of competition were amazing. Winning is something I’ve been focused on since last year, and I’ve worked hard to stay calm and composed in those moments.

“But through it all, I’ve made sure to stay grounded. Humility means everything to me. I think I’m handling it well, and I can see that in both my performances and how people treat me. I’m proud of who I am.”

A first-year Supply Chain Management student at Tshwane University of Technology, Walaza registered his third automatic qualifying time for the World Athletics Championships after his 9.99-second win at the Gauteng North Provincial Championships and 10.00-victory at the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships last month.

Walaza, who was part of Team SA's Olympic silver medal-winning 4x100m relay team in Paris last year, has been selected for the 4x100m relay squad to compete at the World Relay Championships in China from 10–11 May, and he's confident of the team's chances.

"I can’t wait for the relay—we have to bring back a medal from China,” he concluded.

READ: Letsile Tebogo’s advice to rising star Bayanda Walaza