Bayanda Walaza set for first race in Italy after injury recovery

Speaking to SABC Sport, Walaza’s mentor, coach Thabo Matebedi, reflected on the difficult period the 20-year-old and the rest of the training group faced during rehabilitation.  

Matebedi says the injury affected the athletes emotionally and they needed strong support during the recovery process. 

"It was a very difficult one, emotionally, because remember Bayanda is still a young boy and this has never happened to him, so psychologically he also took a big knock because he hasn't been through this kind of things before.

"It's always been easy for him to run fast with no injuries, and one of the biggest challenges is that he wanted to come back to competition very soon.

"Until I put my foot down and said there's not going to be competition in the coming two months, you're going to do your full rehab and full training, and then we'll start competing in the beginning of June, which is just now.

"So it was a very difficult time to keep him confident, keep him believing and not stressing, but it really stressed him out."

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The reigning African Coach of the Year says the focus in Italy will not be on times or positions but simply on helping Walaza enjoy competing again after months on the sidelines.  

"He's running in one of the meets in Italy, and for me it's all about him going back to competition, getting a feel of the track and competition mood and just finishing the race," he added.

"So he might run a 10.1, 10.2 or 10.0, but the aim is just to finish the race, get back into the game and start enjoying it again, and it's also about him believing that he can come back."