Athletics SA to reassess selections for African Championships – AthleticsAfrica
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

RSA

Athletics SA to reassess selections for African Championships

Athletics South Africa’s selection committee has been asked to reassess the final team for the African Championships, less than two weeks before the continental event in Marrakesh.

The 2014 Senior African Athletics Championships will be held at the Great Stadium of Marrakech
The 2014 Senior African Athletics Championships will be held at the Great Stadium of Marrakech

Athletics South Africa’s selection committee has been asked to reassess the final team for the 2014 African Championships, less than two weeks before the continental event, after the country’s top middle-distance runners were left in the dark due to financial constraints.

[link id=”472″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Aleck Skhosana”], the federation’s president, said on Monday the ASA board was in communication with the selectors to find a solution, with national 1500m record holder Johan Cronje, the only SA medallist at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Moscow, and 800m star Andre Olivier omitted from the final list of around 35 athletes.

“Cronje and Olivier have been performing well in the Diamond League series, so we wanted to know why they weren’t selected,” Skhosana said.

“The final decision lies with the board, but we want the selectors, who are the experts, to make the decisions, so we’re working with them to be able to give them the green light.”

While the team list had been distributed to provincial members, Skhosana said the selection process was ongoing, and the final sheet would not be released to the media until the federation was satisfied the best crop of athletes had been selected.

Around 60 athletes were included in the provisional team, and though accommodation costs would be covered by the local organising committee, the financially crippled organisation faced a R2 million bill for travel costs of team members and management.

Selection co-ordinator Hezekiel Sepeng, who did not form part of the committee, said ASA had done everything it could to send the full squad of athletes who achieved the qualifying criteria, but it had been forced to cut the team by nearly 50 percent.

Sepeng, the former Olympic 800m silver medallist, confirmed no middle-distance runners had been included in the squad.

“The president of ASA tried all avenues to get funding but they were forced to reduce the size of the team,” he said.

Skhosana hoped the team for the continental championships, to be held in [link id=”367″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Marrakech”] from August 10 to 14, would be cleared and released by Monday evening.

Meet The Authors

 | Website

Sapa, or the South African Press Association, is a non-governmental news agency that was established in 1938. Sapa provides all forms of media (radio, television, newspapers, and the Internet) with consistent, reliable and credible breaking news and photographs.

You May Also Like

RSA

Team South Africa dominated the medals table at the 23rd CAA African Athletics Senior Championships in Douala, Cameroon.

RSA

Multiple national bests were shattered in the U16 age group, as the ASA U16, U18, U20 and U23 Championships opened at Pilditch Stadium in...

RSA

All eyes will be on junior star Viwe Jingqi in the women's 200m after recovering from injury niggles that hampered her 2023 season.

RSA

Athletics South Africa is thrilled to learn of the European Court of Human Rights declaration that the imposition of the DSD regulations on Caster...

Click to access the login or register cheese