Samaai ensures people will know who he is

Sitting around a dinner table in Asaba on Thursday night, a few South African athletes were chatting about compatriots Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai, discussing their performances after the duo secured yet another medal double at a major international event.

“How did Luvo do?” asked an athlete who had not been to the stadium earlier in the day and had not seen the result of the long jump final.

“He finished second,” another athlete responded. “Ruswahl beat him by two centimetres.”

Athlete No 1 was visibly gutted: “Oh no, that’s so close.”

The whole table froze for a moment and sprinter Henricho Bruintjies nearly dropped the bottle of water in his hand.

“Why do you look so sad?” Bru- intjies asked.

Athlete No 1 drew an incredulous look from the table with her response: “Because he lost.”

Distance runner Cherise Sims jumped in: “But Ruswahl won gold.”

The whole table froze once more after athlete No 1 let another bizarrely structured sentence slip from her tongue: “Who is Ruswahl?”

Samaai has taken such a deep back seat to his countryman over the last couple of years – his own team-mate had never even heard his name.

Granted, athlete No 1 should probably take more notice of what’s going on in her sport, but it was a stark reminder of how much Manyonga’s performances have forced Samaai into relative obscurity. @wesbotton

It’s an unfortunate phenomenon that some world-class athletes experience by being born in the “wrong” generation.

Had Samaai been around five years earlier, or five years later, he could have been a household name, but because he competes alongside Manyonga, he has become somewhat of a no-name brand.

He’s not alone. Multiple track and field athletes around the globe have faced the same battle. If not for Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, Kenyan rival Paul Tergat would be an international legend. If not for US powerhouse Michael Johnson, Namibian sprinter Frank Fredericks would have a bagful of gold medals.

Manyonga is a phenomenal athlete and nothing can be taken away from him for what he has achieved, particularly after bouncing back from the widely reported troubles he has faced in his personal life.

Samaai’s achievements, however, are impressive too. He’s earned medals at the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, and he’s a double African champion.

Samaai is also an incredibly hard worker.

While Manyonga is far more relaxed in his approach to diet and training, Samaai makes endless sacrifices in an effort to close the gap formed by Manyonga’s natural talent.

But Samaai has persevered. Every time he’s finished second or third as the perennial bridesmaid, it has made him stronger and he has fought back harder, and his consistency this season has been remarkable.

He might not have the big leaps in his legs which Manyonga is capable of achieving, but his heart is big enough to keep him going.

Winning his second African title this week won’t be enough to make him a legend of the sport, but it was a well-deserved victory for an athlete who has never given up.

And at the very least, his performance in Asaba has ensured every one of his team-mates will always remember his name.