Njabulo Mbatha
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 24 April 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Hurdles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | 400m: 47.03 (2024) 400mH: 49.06 (2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Njabulo Mbatha (born 24 April 2007) is a South African track and field athlete who primarily competes over 400 metres hurdles.[1]
Biography
From Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, Mbatha attended Arbor Park School, initially using athletics to improve his speed and playing rugby, and he earned a rugby scholarship at Northwood Boys High School in 2021 before later studying at TuksSport High School in Pretoria from 2023.[2]
Mbatha was the South African junior champion in 2024 and while competing at the senior South African Athletics Championships in Pietermaritzburg, he became the youngest athlete to win a medal in a senior 400m hurdles final. His time of 49.57 seconds was the second fastest in the world for an U18 athlete in 2024.[3] Mbatha placed fourth overall in the 400 metres hurdles,[4] and won a silver medal in the 4 × 400 m relay, later that year at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.[5]
In February 2025, competing for TuksSport High School, he ran 47.35 for the 400m sprint in Guateng.[6] In March 2025, while competing at the Grand Prix Meeting in Pilditch, he won the 400 metres hurdles in a personal best of 49.40 seconds.[3] In April 2025, he set a new personal best again, running 49.06 seconds in winning the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone, ahead of experienced Kenyan Wiseman Mukhobe.[7][8] He was runner-up over 400 m hurdles to Sabelo Dhlamini at the 2025 South African Championships later that month, in 49.28.[9][10] He won the 400 m hurdles gold medal at the 2025 African U20 Championships in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in July 2025.[11]
References
- ↑ "Njabulo Mbatha". Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Newcastle's Njabulo Mbatha dominates in world athletics". Citizen. 3 Sep 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- 1 2 Mthembu, Thuthukani (27 March 2025). "Njabulo Mbatha determined to defend his 400m hurdles title at SA Junior Champs". Iol.co.za. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "World Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 24 August 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Fayisa flies to 1500m gold for Ethiopia on day five in Lima". World Athletics. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ↑ Callaghan, Rowan. "Njabulo Mbatha shines in Gauteng leg of Track+Field series". The Star. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "World Athletics Continental Tour 2025: Letsile Tebogo and Akani Simbine shine in Gaborone sprint events". Olympics.com. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Tebogo, Simbine and Muhammad impress in Gaborone". World Athletics. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ Botton, Wesley (25 April 2025). "Hurdlers stand out on day two of SA Athletics Championships". citizen.co.za. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
- ↑ "South African Championships". World Athletics. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "Ochonogor soars championship record, Oratile secures gold medal treble in Abeokuta". World Athletics. 21 July 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.