Youngster gets inspired by challengers at IAAF championships
Maudas Banda was the only Mpumalanga athlete to represent the country in Colombia.
When the 17-year-old Maudas Banda saw athletes younger than him clear eight metres in the long jump, he was not disheartened that he had failed to make the distance, but instead inspired to follow suit.
The Hoërskool Bergvlam learner was one of the 24 who represented South Africa at the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia in July.
Vlammie op pad na Colombië. https://t.co/qyeK0d4TzX #IAAF #Cali@bergvlam #longjump #Athletics @iaaforg pic.twitter.com/xgdpXOUyr2
— Mireille de Villiers (@antwall85) July 4, 2015
“Seeing someone younger than me actually jump eight metres was amazing,” he tells Lowvelder. “It put a question in my mind: If they can do it, why can’t I?”
At the competition he didn’t jump his personal best of 7,37 metres or reach his goal of 7,50 metres, having to settle for a distance of 7,04 metres.
“I was a little disappointed, but I was happy to make it that far.”
He was the only athlete from Mpumalanga in the team who spent 10 days in the city. The 17-hour trip was tedious and the competition was intense. “Cali the city is beautiful.” However, it was no tourist vacation, with the participants supporting one another while not competing themselves.
“The other athletes were competitive, but friendly at the same time. It was not easy for any of them – everyone had to work really hard to get their medals.”
Overall team South Africa finished fifth, bringing home four medals. For now Maudas is playing soccer, before resuming training with his coach Johan Kruger later this term.
He is inspired, setting his sights on jumping eight metres next season, and being included in the junior championships team. Next year it will be held in Kazan, Russia. He has motivation in abundance, but says while competing he needs to stay calm – mostly by listening to hip hop.
“I need to stay as calm as possible. When I get too nervous it is not good. I just put it in my mind that anything can happen.”
- Read more on the high jump star Maudas Banda here.
