What they're giving us is an insult, says ASA

Published Aug 15, 2003

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In an ongoing saga, Athletics South Africa (ASA) announced on Thursday that they will not attend the National Olympic Committee of South Africa's (Nocsa) general meetings or councils.

ASA CEO Banele Sindani explained that this self-suspension will stand, pending the outcome of an initiative by the Minister of Sport and Recreation Ngconde Balfour, to help resolve the dispute between the two parties.

Sindani described Nocsa's AGMs and council meetings as "at best, meaningless to ASA, and at worst, they have become torture chambers, and therefore sources of great agony and pain for ASA".

Sindani explained that the problem stems from alleged financial imbalances within Nocsa. He recently described the amount of R160 000 that Nocsa have given towards the South African team's trip to the world athletics championships in Paris as "peanuts".

"What they're giving us is an insult," said Sindani, suggesting that sports such as badminton and volleyball receive over-generous sums from Nocsa in relation to their medal-winning potential and their participation figures.

Despite the ongoing dispute, Sindane emphasised that athletes will not be affected by ASA's recent decision.

"At operational level the office of ASA will continue to work with the office of Nocsa in order to ensure that the athletes are not disadvantaged in any way by this decision," he said.

Sindani also stressed the faith that ASA have in the minister and his efforts to solve this conflict.

Nocsa declined make any comment on this latest development.

Meanwhile, ASA announced that the continuation of the hearing into the alleged caffeine offence by Elana Meyer has been postponed. The hearing was supposed to have been held on Thursday, but Meyer is overseas competing.

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