Zazini means business
World youth record-holder ticks all the right boxes: coach
AT FULL STRETCH: Sokhwakhana Zazini is pushing the boundaries WHEN Sokhwakhana Zazini said he saw a future for himself in the business world when done with athletics, coach Hennie Kriel quickly stepped in: “Athletics is your business!”
In fact, “it’s already his business because people already engage with him. I think one of the biggest problems with athletes is that they don’t see themselves as a business. That’s the approach he needs to have in his career,” Kriel said.
However, this wasn’t Kriel extending the irritating patronising arm. He has an understanding of athletes who are mapping their way in life; those who have their heads screwed on and those who are quietly driven to success through maximising their minimal opportunities.
Kriel reckons Zazini ticks all those boxes.
Zazini broke the world youth record in the 400m hurdles at the Gauteng North Championships in Pretoria last week.
His 48.84 shaved 0.17 seconds off the time set by William Wynne of the United States in 2007.
If Zazini ran the same time in a senior event, he would have qualified for the World Championships (49.35). He also bettered the 49.53 he set in the Gauteng Schools Championships the week before in Germiston.
The 17-year-old Zazini knows the wide highway he is on is dangerous, but exciting.
He knows an elite career is not all about fun and games.
“When I left Burgersdorp, [in the Eastern Cape] everyone was sad because they didn’t want me to go to Pretoria, but I didn’t have much of an option. I had to make a decision because it’s my future that’s at stake and there’s not much to look forward to in Burgersdorp,” Zazini said.
“Here at TuksSport High School [in Pretoria], I know I can map out my future, but I dealt with the toughness of leaving Burgersdorp and I had my mother’s blessing.
“I have to provide for my family and they look up to me. It was a decision I had to make and I don’t think I’ll regret it.”
Zazini is comfortable with leaving errant Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen as the best thing to come out of Burgersdorp.
With the manner in which he has adapted to the busy high performance surroundings at the TukSport High School, it would be difficult to say he has only been there for less than a year.
He was at Burgersdorp High School until his Grade 10 year, when his academic results and his athletics excellence in his application made sure the institution granted him a bursary.
While there is an intense focus on academics at the school, the rich aroma of sport permeates around the academy that caters for the majority of Olympic sports.
After all, it lies in the heart of the TuksSports campus with its welloiled conveyor belt of success. It was fitting the multilingual Zazini broke the record not too far from where he attends classes.
It’s a step towards the 47.66 national record held by his hero LJ van Zyl, but he knows there is work to be done before that particular assault begins.
“From the beginning of the week, we knew the youth record was going. I had to put in some work, but when I got to the finish line, I was absolutely tired, speechless and elated at the same time. It would be easy to say I was overwhelmed by emotion even though I prepared adequately for the race. I know I can keep up with my standards, even though it’s going to be tough,” Zazini said.
“I don’t have an idea of how good I could become, but I have some sort of belief that I’ll be good and with the record, I do think it’s a good three to four years away. I still need to serve my time as a junior before I make the step up to seniors.”
Being from Molteno, a 30-minute drive from Burgersdorp, Van Zyl understands what drives Zazini, especially with one story of Zazini winning a hurdles race without any practice because of the Tuks track being relaid.
“I’ve shared all my information with him and now he’s run a 48. I’m going to stop now because that’s not too far from the South African record and he’s on the path there now,” Van Zyl said.
The 17-year-old Zazini knows the wide highway he is on is dangerous, but exciting