Exclusive: Bayanda Walaza Withdraws from U20 African Champs to Focus on World Stage

South African Olympic silver medallist, the 19-year-old 100 m sprinter, Bayanda Walaza, has withdrawn from the upcoming under-18 and under-20 African Championships as a way to manage his workload ahead of what is a big year with the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships looming.

Walaza withdraws from U20 African Champs

Walaza was included in the South African group of athletes that will be staged in Abeokuta in Nigeria, from 16 to 20 July 2025.

However, given the many competitions that the youngster is in high demand in, the 19-year-old track star has withdrawn from the African champs as a way to manage his workload.

Athletic South Africa's High-Performance Manager, Hezekiel Sepeng, confirmed the youngster's withdrawal in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.co.za.

"Bayanda Walaza has withdrawn from the competition. We received communication from his management," Sepeng told SportsBoom.co.za.

After all, it makes sense for the youngster to withdraw from the competition as he has been competing all year long.

Moreover, Walaza is currently preparing for the upcoming Diamond League in Eugene, the United States of America.

The youngster is set to race in a star-studded heat with World number two ranked and Jamaican superstar Kishane Thompson, the number two ranked and Jamaican star Ackeem Blake, and American Christian Coleman, among others.

Seeing that Walaza has the second slowest season best in that line-up, he needs to improve, and the best way to do that is to race against the best, and the best track stars are not at the African Champs.

Seeing that the 2025 World Athletics Championships are in a few months' time in Tokyo in Japan, it seems Walaza has made the right decision.

"I see now he's going to be participating in the Diamond League in the US. We're looking at his management and the coaches, so we probably should look at his planning very carefully. In a few months to come, there's a world champs and world champs is big. We want a fresh Bayanda at the world champs, which is very important for us," Sepeng told SportsBoom.co.za.

"Because Bayanda is going to the world champs, it is also very important to get into those fast competitions with the athletes that he is going to compete against in the world champs. Not to say under 20 is a little bit lower, but at this juncture where we are now, we have to look for him to be able to choose competitions and be able to do fewer competitions leading up to the world champs."

"I mean, he's been running all year long. So we can't be blind here and not think about his future. World champs is a big one for him. The World Champs is a big one for us, and it shows that Bayanda can make that final. Once he makes that final individually, we're also in the relay."

The African Champs

Athletics South Africa will have representation at the upcoming under-18 and under-20 African Championships despite Walaza's withdrawal.

Sepeng highlighted that the African Championships form a very important part of their planning in upskilling and exposing the younger generation to higher competitions.

"These are the U-18 and U-20 championships. That means we've got some of the young athletes who will be competing there. So, it's part of our ongoing development plan, giving the young athletes an opportunity," Sepeng told SportsBoom.co.za. 

"Most of these young athletes are now running equivalent times with the seniors, and we would like to have more young athletes coming up. Competitions like this, the African Champs, are the biggest on the continent. So athletes would also like to have the title."

"But the bigger picture here is for us to give athletes an opportunity to participate continentally."