Sinesipho Dambile continued the TuksSport High School’s proud legacy of speedy exploits on the track over the weekend when he won the 200m during the Gauteng North Championships at Tuks in 20.43s.

It was a world-class performance that ranks him seventh on the IAAF list of best accomplishments over 200m by an under-18 athlete. Dambile’s time is also a new South African youth record.

He is not the only learner from TuksSport High School who has proved to be one of the world’s best under-18 athletes. Gift Leotela is still jointly third on the IAAF-rankings with a time of 10.20s in the 100m. He can also boast with having won a silver medal in the 200m during the 2016 World Junior Championships. 

Sokwakhana Zazini who matriculated last year at TuksSport High School is a former Youth and Junior World Champion in the 400m-hurdles. He also set a world youth record in the 400m-hurdles running 48.84s at Tuks in 2017.

Dambile will be competing this weekend at the South African School Championships in Port Elizabeth.

On asked if there is going to be another fast time he just smiled before saying. “Just watch the results . . . maybe I will surprise people again.”

However, he then immediately adds that fast times are not all that matters to him.

“Every time I settle down in the blocks to race my only thoughts are on making my mom proud as she is undoubtedly my biggest fan. All I have achieved up to now is due to her love and support. It was she who encouraged me to take up athletics.

“There was a time when I was playing rugby and enjoying it. However, my mom was worried about me getting injured so she was adamant that I rather should be more serious about my running.”

Dambile disagrees that athletics is an individual sport.

“I see it as a team sport. In sprinting it is you and your coach teaming up against the stopwatch. And that is exciting as there are never any guarantees. Sometimes after a race, all the hard work and long hours of training get to be worthwhile as we achieved what we set out to do. The opposite is also unfortunately true. We do fail. The challenge is not to let it get to you but learn from your mistakes.”

It should be no surprise that Dambile views the legendary Usain Bolt as a role model.

“I feel as if I can relate to what he has achieved as we come from sort of similar backgrounds. What I really appreciated from watching Bolt race is the joy he seemed to have gotten from sprinting. I got the idea that if you enjoy doing something you will eventually succeed."

Thabo Matebedi (coach) said from the first time he saw Dambile race he knew he was the real deal.

“He has got everything a sprinter needs to excel, the physique, temperament and discipline. My biggest challenge however is going to be to ensure he only gets to fulfil his real potential as a senior athlete. If he does not, I would have failed as a coach.

“Sinesipho is still young and way to fast. That is why he needs to be controlled. He could have broken the national youth record already three weeks ago. I purposely had to get him to slow down so he could run the record at a recognised meeting. Our main goal is for him to win the gold medal in April at the African Youth Championships at the Ivory Coast.”