ASA accepts blame for poor showing at World Champs

The team returned empty-handed, securing the last spot in the rankings after the nine-day global competition.

The 4x100m relay squad committed an unfortunate blunder, mishandling the baton during the final race. This triggered a strong rebuke of the federation from the accomplished eight-time SA 100m champion, Akani Simbine.

Holding the SA 100m record of 9.84 seconds, Simbine blamed ASA for the team’s lackluster performance at the championships. He directly criticized the federation for inadequately preparing the athletes for the event. Hendrick Mokganyetsi, Chairperson of the Athletes Commission, told SABC Sport in an exclusive interview that the federation had let down the athletes, fully supporting Simbine’s decision to publicly voice his frustrations against them.  

“We engaged in a discussion with Akani, and he rightfully expressed his frustrations. It’s undeniable that we, as ASA, overlooked certain components of the athletes’ programs. We should have extended greater assistance to our athletes, a responsibility we unfortunately faltered in Budapest.

The athletes were in need of increased support, which we regrettably failed to furnish. Their concerns were fully noted, leading us to reach an understanding of the road ahead.

Subsequently, we devised both short-term and long-term plans. The near future pertains to the upcoming Olympic Games next year, while our gaze is fixed on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles for the long haul. Our intention is to unveil an early roster for the relay, collaborating closely with Coach Paul Gorries,” explained Mokganyetsi.

Mokganyetsi, a veteran of three Olympic 400m competitions, openly acknowledged Team SA’s lackluster performance at the global championships. Over the last three events in Doha 2019, Oregon 2021, and Budapest, South Africa has been unable to clinch any medals. Mokganyetsi emphasized that a relay culture is notably absent within the South African team, a deficiency that requires immediate attention and improvement.

“We failed to execute the plan beforehand. The absence of a relay culture and our failure to arrange training camps contributed to this. We are committed to rectifying these issues by scheduling camps in January and April of the upcoming year.  Additionally, we plan to extend invitations to leading relay nations to come to South Africa. The federation fully takes accountability for the medal shortfall,” Mokganyetsi elaborated.