‘SWAZI BOLT’ RETIRES FROM GAMES

MBABANE – It was his last Commonwealth Games.

That is Sibusiso ‘Swazi Bolt’ Matsenjwa, who is now calling it a day in the games. The country’s fastest man will not take part in the next edition, which is billed for 2026 in Australia, as he will be 38 by that time. Matsenjwa ended his appearance in the Commonwealth Games by reaching the finals for the first time in his third appearance. It was not the first time that Matsenjwa made the country proud in such high-profile games, as he also reached the semifinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021. He broke two national records in that event. He is yet to decide if he will still be available for the 2024 Olympics Games.

The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and with the exception of 1942 and 1946, (cancelled due to World War II), have successively run every four years since. Matsenjwa had competed in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and he was part of the team in the Gold Coast 2018, Commonwealth Games. Matsenjwa was unlucky in the last edition as he was due to compete in the 4x100m relay for the first time but an injury to Ayanda Malaza cost them a spot alongside Benele Dlamini and Menzowokuhle Msibi.

“It’s been a massive journey. I’m thankful for all the positive support while representing Eswatini in my last Commonwealth games. Thank you,” he said. Matsenjwa in the finals started well but he was outpaced in the last 60 metres and he finished seventh with a time of 20:92 seconds while the winner was Jereem Richards from Trinidad and Tobago. The latter clocked 19:80 seconds. His next competition after the Commonwealth Games will be the SARPCCO games scheduled for September in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The SARPCCO Games are organised by the Southern African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation. The event features police from the region. Matsenjwa has been winning gold medals in the games since joining REPS. He represents the Eswatini Royal Police Services (REPS) in the games.

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