Sport

Germiston coach shares the story of his transition

His journey as a coach began in 2018 when Kabelo, a rising star preparing for major events, approached him after observing his training at Germiston Stadium.

As competitors gear up for the first league of Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA), Thulani Sibeko, a well-known coach in Germiston, shares his inspiring story of how he transitioned from a distance runner to one of the area’s top athletic instructors.

Sibeko, a former 1500m and 800m runner, now coaches at the Thulani Sibeko Training Group.

His journey as a coach began in 2018 when Kabelo, a rising star preparing for major events, approached him after observing his training at Germiston Stadium.

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Though Sibeko lacked formal coaching qualifications at the time, his potential as a coach was clear.

Reflecting on his early days, Sibeko recalls making mistakes as he navigated his new role.

“I went out looking for talent and found Neo Hlalukane. The athletes came to me after seeing my success,” Sibeko said.

He admits that in the beginning, he sometimes assigned the wrong training programmes to athletes. He was unaware of how crucial it was to match each individual’s needs.

His path to becoming a qualified coach took a pivotal turn when Ntombi Mphahlela, a fellow township resident, encouraged him to pursue official coaching credentials and even paid for his level-one training.

Sibeko now holds both level one and level two coaching certifications.

The turning point for the training group came when they participated in the tough Puma School of Speed competition.

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“We dominated the competition, which lifted our spirits and confirmed we were on the right track,” Sibeko said.

Over the years, Sibeko has helped develop athletes such as Siyabonga Uzzoh and Neo Hlalukane, with Hlalukane winning gold in the 800m at the 10th FASU All Africa University Games in Kenya.

Albert, another of Sibeko’s athletes, qualified for competition in Italy.

The training group has earned over 30 gold medals in competitions at local and national levels, including dominating school competitions.

“Currently, 90% of our athletes are South African champions in their respective categories,” Sibeko shared, adding that this year, their goal is to produce athletes who will represent South Africa internationally.

Last year, athletes like Ashlynn Norman and Calvin Kandira earned gold at the OR Tambo-Soncini Social Cohesion Games and Mkosana secured a bronze in the 100m at the South African Primary Schools Championships.

Kayleigh Foster also earned several school sports awards, including senior victrix ludorum.

Sibeko’s training group has helped athletes secure scholarships at prestigious institutions, including the University of Charleston in the USA and the University of Johannesburg.

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“Education is important in our team. We want our athletes to pursue their studies while staying dedicated to their athletic pursuits,” Sibeko emphasized.

As the CGA leagues approach, Sibeko’s athletes are preparing with warm-up competitions in Pretoria.

The team trains every Wednesday from 14:30 at Germiston Stadium, continuing their journey toward future success.

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