By Lebogang Seale
As Khotso Mokoena leapt to Olympic silver in Beijing, his father jumped from his seat in jubilation.
His mother clasped her hands and put them across her mouth, grateful that her prayers had been answered.
Mokoena won South Africa's first medal at the Beijing Olympics on Monday when he recorded a distance of 8,24m in the long jump.
Although Mokoena was beaten by Panama's Irvin Saladino (8,34m) to the gold medal, his accomplishment was enough to send his Ratanda neighbourhood, near Heidelberg, into a frenzy.
"I jumped off my seat and punched the air in celebration," said 44-year-old Phakiso, who stopped by at a friend's house from work to watch his son compete on TV.
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"As I watched him go through his paces, I became nervous. But I had this gut feeling that he was going to make it.
"Oddly, we kept on cheering as if he was hearing us. Obviously a gold medal would have been excellent, but he has done us proud," said Phakiso, who sent his son an SMS before he went to work on Monday, wishing him luck.
"He is a young man with a big heart and who is passionate about his game, so I never doubted his capabilities. I wish I can fly to Beijing, throw myself in his arms and hug him," he said.
Even more excited was Khotso's mother Sonto, who watched him from home.
"I was alone, but I just found myself cheering and jumping up and down like a possessed person. It was such a great feeling," she said.
Clad in an Athletics South Africa tracksuit she was given by her son, Sonto ,41, on Monday night eagerly waited for the 7pm TV news bulletin.
"From the start, I could see by the way he jumped that he was going to win. Although he came second, I was not surprised because even before he left he kept mentioning Saladino as his main threat," Sonto said.
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