Edward Mothibi insists move to Hollywood Athletics Club was a joint decision

The two were officially unveiled as members of the Hollywood Athletics Club at the club’s headquarters in Durban on Thursday.

Mothibi explained that the move was a collective decision taken by the athletes as a group, along with their head coach Dave Adams, who is also expected to be officially unveiled later this month. Dijana regards Mothibi as his role model, with Mothibi having discovered him and introduced him to the “Happy Bunch” training group under Adams. Their close bond extends to competition, where they often plan and execute races together.

READ: Tete Dijana: My move was not motivated by money

“We made the move together as a group and with the coach. In life, you need change and you need to grow, and that’s why we decided to come here. This is the fastest-growing team in South Africa, even though it doesn’t yet have many victories,” Mothibi told SABC Sport.

The 2019 Comrades Marathon winner dismissed suggestions that the move was motivated by money or unfulfilled financial promises at Nedbank. Mothibi bristled at claims that the decision was driven by lucrative offers from the so-called Purple Team.

“Everything is not about money. Money is the last thing that should be on a person’s mind. As an individual, you need to grow and face new challenges. For me, it’s not about money at all. That report is entirely not true and that’s up to the people who are making it,” he said.

 While Hollywood Athletics Club has clearly assembled a strong Comrades-focused squad—similar to when it unveiled Gerda Steyn, who went on to become the first woman to win the Ultimate Human Race—Mothibi insisted there is no pressure on him or Dijana to deliver immediate victories.

Do you think I can perform better when I am unhappy? They must make sure that I am happy, and then I will perform. I will also make sure that I deliver. Of course, I want to win gold again, but there is no pressure on me or Tete to win the title,” he said.

Mothibi hinted that he was not entirely satisfied during his time at Nedbank but declined to go into detail, maintaining that he was treated fairly.

“Yes, I was happy and treated fairly,” he added.