Interim ASA board focuses on next season

It was all systems go for Athletics South Africa on Saturday as the nine-member interim board met with ASA administrator Ray Mali with the focus on the coming domestic season and the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Mali described the board as "a wonderful bunch of people" but said a permanent executive needed to be in place as soon as possible and it was paramount that the sport and the athletes did not suffer while the crumbled federation was rebuilt.

"The big challenge now is to prepare for next year with the Commonwealth Games, and looking ahead to the 2012 Olympics in London.

"Our preparation for these events needs to progress and stay on course," said Mali, a board member of Sascoc, South Africa's Olympic governing body.

"Our domestic season will continue and by the end of April we must have a new board in place."

A Sascoc enquiry into the federation continues after ASA president Leonard Chuene and his executive were suspended with members of senior staff for the numerous problems facing the embattled federation, reportedly in financial crisis. The suspended members, many of whom played roles in the Caster Semenya gender fiasco, face disciplinary hearings.

Mali said they had met with representatives from Nedbank, ASA's road running sponsor who withdrew a year early from a five-year deal two months ago, and track and field sponsors Yellow Pages, who have yet to confirm a new deal after their contract with the federation ended at the end of last season. He said both sponsors had agreed to renegotiate ahead of the new season.

"We had sessions yesterday and both sponsors are on board," Mali said at the ASA office in Houghton after the two-day meeting.

Interim board member and former New York marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala, said he was relieved that athletes held one third of the seats on the board.

Former sprinter Geraldine Pillay, who won two medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and former long distance runner Blanche Moila, who was the first black female athlete to receive Springbok colours, were also voted on to the interim board last weekend.

"We will fight hard to ensure the athletes have a real say," said Ramaala.

"This office has been dirty for a long time now and it's time to clean it up." - Sapa