Mickey Mouse

SA athletics

team named

JOHANNESBURG -- Athletics South Africa finally announced their "final" team for today's Engen Test against Russia at Pretoria's Pilditch stadium, although it looks more like a comedy of errors than a team list.

Besides the continued inclusion of pole-vaulter Okkert Brits, who has already said he will not return home from the European indoor season, the team list is littered with discrepancies.

Among the sprinters, in-form Natalian Matthew Quinn remains in the President's B team behind SA team members Johann Venter and Marcus la Grange.

In his four outings this season, Quinn has beaten La Grange on every occasion, while Venter has yet to compete on the local circuit.

The same goes for EP sprinter, Heide Seyerling, who has won six straight sprint races over 100 and 200m in the first three Absa series meetings, but is only included in the President's team.

Out-of-form Marliese Steyn and Mia Prinsloo, who have both suffered defeats at the hands of the 1994 world junior 200m champion, are both included in the national team.

The scenario means it will be the President's team and not the SA team that will dominate the sprint events.

Hurdler Corien Botha, who reached the semi-finals in the 100m hurdles at the Athens world championships last year, is also included in the women's long jump.

But Botha admitted she had given up long jump to concentrate on the short hurdles.

"I have informed ASA through my coach, Rita Engelbrecht, who is also the national ASA coach, that I don't want to do the long jump," Botha said. "I don't know why they insist that I do."

Botha added that ASA's policy of including athletes who were not in shape to compete was also damaging.

"Look at a guy like 800m Olympic silver medalist Hezekiel Sepeng. He's not in shape, but they're forcing him to compete. Then there's Brits' case," Botha, who works as a prosecuter in child abuse cases, said.

"Why are ASA forcing South Africa's top athletes to compete in the Test when the Russians haven't brought their strongest team out."

Botha said she was happy to compete in the 100m hurdles as she needed the race fitness despite being sick earlier this week.

"I'm feeling much better now, but ASA must not expect any brilliant times," she said.

ASA track and field chief Bennett Bailey confirmed Botha had initially decided against competing in the long jump, but "had it in writing" that she now wanted to compete. Botha denied she ever asked to be reinstated and had never written to ASA.

In an official press release ASA then announced that four athletes had withdrawn from the original team on medical grounds, including SA 200 and 400m champion Adri de Jongh (ear infection), but failed to explain why three other athletes originally included in the national and President's teams had also been omitted.

Only on approaching ASA secretary Banele Sindani was it confirmed there were more than four withdrawals.

According to Sindani, sprinter Wendy Hartmann, hurdler Rory Meleniclis, sprinter Shaun Powell and De Jongh are the athletes who withdrew for medical reasons.

Sindani then confirmed the President's team 400m runners Moses Mabaso and Hendrick Moller were also out.

"Mabaso is nowhere to be found," Sindani said, "while Moller and discus-thrower Karel Potgieter have both retired."

Meanwhile, Sepeng and SA 400m hurdles champion Lana van Heerden were selected to captain the South African side.

Sepeng's race against the in-form Hendrick Mokganyetsi over 800m is expected to be one of the highlights of the meeting.