Sibiya, Mphahlele train together in bid to qualify for world champs

The world championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August are at the heart of this year's track and field season and every athlete wants to be there.

In an attempt to qualify for the world champs, middle-distance runners, Nkosinathi Sibiya and Ryan Mphahlele, are training together with the hope of pushing each other to achieve qualifying times.  

In the national championships in Potchefstroom last month, Sibiya and Mphahlele finished second and third respectively in the men's 1500m, with Tshepo Tsite claiming gold. Sibiya ran a time of 3:40.65 while Mphahlele crossed the line in 3:42.80. Their finishing times fell short of the 3:34.20 required to qualify for the world championships. 

Tomorrow and Monday, the duo will get another chance to make the qualifying time of their favourite event at Endurocad Middle Distance Invitational at the Green Point Stadium, Cape Town. 

“I’m working towards making the time for the world championships in Budapest, I’m training hard to make the time," Sibiya told Sowetan this week.

"Ryan Mphahlele and I usually have two sessions a week, what we are trying to do is chase the qualifying time. We are working together to see if we can both qualify.  

“We are going to run in Cape Town on Friday and Monday, we have the opportunity to make the time. We have done everything in our preparations," he said.

Sibiya elaborated on why he and Mphahlele are training partners – he mentioned how runners from Kenya camp together and achieve success at major events. 

“This is something that will help us, if you look around athletes from countries like Kenya, they work together. In Kenya you find three training groups, all the athletes are there and the results are good, and all of them in the group perform. So, that’s what Ryan and I are trying to do.  

“Our friendship is very good, we also stay at the same place and we do our jogs together. We are trying to build our relationship and sportsmanship, which is not there in some people. For us to progress, we need to work together," he said.