Germiston athlete scores scholarship at University of California
”Sabino is a dedicated, disciplined person and has the desire to win. He is an A+ student in mathematics,” said Diamond.
The Diamond Elite Camp’s Steven Sabino (18) has joined the University of California (UCLA) in Los Angeles on a full scholarship.
This was announced on the university’s X (formerly Twitter) page on February 19, the day they welcomed Sabino.
Maria Diamond, his longtime head coach, expressed satisfaction with the announcement.
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Sabino, of Mozambican descent, has broken longstanding records and performed admirably for his nation.
He recently participated in the Curro Podium Grand Finale competitions, where he faced Matsoso Tsebo of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Walaza Bayanda of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), among others.
They competed in the 60m sprint, with Sabino placing fourth in 6.73 seconds and Bayanda first in 6.58 seconds.
Diamond said she first met Sabino when his father, Dr Sabino, a physicist, introduced him when he was 11 years old.
“At the time, he had already broken the 80m school national record with a time of 10.35,” Diamond recalled.
“All of our athletes have a four-to-eight-year cycle. Now that Sabino is in the maturity period, the next generation is already in the stable.
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“For example, 13-year-old Kamohelo Letebele set a record 11.22 in the 100m event at the Sub-Youth Provincials last December.
“Sabino is a committed, disciplined individual who wants to succeed. He is an A+ student in maths and matriculated last year,” the coach explained.
“We want him to set a new personal best (PB) this year. At the February 15 Athletics Gauteng North meet, he opened the season with a 100m time of 10.52. In the boys’ U19, he leapt 7.91m to take the world lead on February 1.
“Since most of the athletes and the technical staff at UCLA are former Olympians, he will benefit from them. He is a true team player.
He was approached by five USA universities, including Harvard and Texas Houston, through Carl Lewis’ Scouts ASM programme.
“UCLA is a very athlete-driven organisation, and he received a 100% scholarship. His tuition will also be customised to fit his track and field training routine.”
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According to Diamond, he leads the U20 men’s long jump global rankings.
“Last year, he qualified for the Olympics but was disqualified due to a false start. He is now a lot more focused and driven,” said Diamond.
“This scholarship has helped Mozambique and its athletes gain international recognition. I work well with Sabino, so I was appointed the manager for the Mozambique Olympic Team, which was first passing through Cameroon for the Senior Africa Games en route to the Paris Olympics,” said Diamond.
Sabino, a former King Edward VII High School learner who set two national records, is a member of the Mozambican team.
At the Athletics South Africa Grand Prix III on March 27, 2024, Sabino broke the 100m record in 10.35 seconds.
He also set a long jump record at the SA High School and LSEN National Track and Field Championships on April 4, 2024, with a distance of 7.61m.
