The world of athletics is a tough realm and Akani Simbine has realized it the hard way. Coming off an emphatic victory in the Shanghai Diamond League, the South African sprinter seems heartbroken. But that is quite contrasting to what he achieved hours ago. Running in the 100m, Simbine thwarted the danger of crowd favorite Christian Coleman to rake up a timing of 10.01s to clinch the gold. But as it turns out, it was not enough for the fans back home to appreciate him enough. 

In a startling revelation by the Olympian, he detailed what his reception looked like in South Africa. Despite earning major international glories, Simbine remains underappreciated by his home fans. Naturally, this saddens him. 

Akani Simbine reflects on somber reception back in South Africa

South African track and field enthusiasts had immense hope when Akani Simbine stepped on the field in the 2016 Rio Olympics. While he did put up a great performance, sadly enough, Simbine missed the podium shortly, ending up in fifth position. And this was enough for his fans to turn against him despite Simbine being the former African record holder at 100m. 

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Pained by such an underwhelming reception, Simbine opined, “I always make the 100m final and I’ve finished in the top five of those finals since 2016. But, I feel I don’t get the appreciation and have come to terms with it. Running fast is a gift that’s been given to me.” Expressing his frustration further, Simbine lamented the fact that he performs every time a challenge is thrown his way. 

Citing examples of his performances in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and the Diamond League, the 30-year-old cannot help but wonder what else he needs to do. Interestingly, participating in his next event at the Commonwealth Games, Simbine will start as the defending 100m champion. Accepting the reactions back home, Simbine reflected on how his future would remain unchanged. 

Akani Simbine believes nothing’s going to change

Continuing to reflect on his sad state of affairs, the Protea ceased to believe that a substantial change might happen in the near future. He said, “It’s always an honour to represent SA at the Olympics, World Champs or Commonwealth Games, but even if I were to break the world record I don’t think anything would change in terms of recognition.” Thus, without focusing much on the variables, Simbine is concentrating on the job at hand. 

The 30-year-old will look to replicate his heroics from the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games. However, this time, he will face the staunch challenge of Africa’s Fastest Man, Ferdinand Omanyala. With the sky being the limit, Simbine will look to rise from the ashes of underappreciation and soar high above all the worldly hate in all his glory.