Coach T advises his athletes to choose the right new coach

Matebedi recently accepted a job as Malaysia's head sprint coach, starting on 1 August. 

He confirmed to SABC Sport that he has ended his coaching relationship with the three sprinters, but hopes they will choose someone who genuinely cares about their careers instead of someone who wants to take advantage of them. 

"They must know that when you are choosing a coach you are choosing a parent. You can't just choose somebody who knows how to coach, because for me athletics is a committed sport and the athlete as well as the coach must be very committed. You can't have somebody who only cares about how fast you run."

READ: Khanyisa Chawane excited ahead of third Commonwealth Games

Matebedi says his coaching philosophy has always focused on helping athletes enjoy long and successful careers by carefully managing their workload and stress levels. 

He believes their next coach must understand the importance of building trust and looking after the athlete both on and off the track.

The 2025 African Coach of the Year also warned that success and money can become distractions for young athletes. 

He says the new coach must guide them through those challenges and help them remain focused on their careers and long-term goals.

"When these athletes start making money things totally change. Once the money comes in I think we've never been prepared to deal with those issues. The performance comes with money, and the money then comes with its own issues."

Leotlela and Dambile will travel to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games without a personal coach after Matebedi's departure. 

While he believes both athletes are in good form, he admits the situation is not ideal as they head into one of the biggest competitions of the year...