SOME media reports gave the impression that I organised a mob of drunks to disrupt a meeting of athletes in Pretoria at the weekend. I never did such a thing. I attended as an athlete and left when I felt that the agenda was not being followed. I fail to see how that act can disrupt a meeting. There is not one person that can claim my behaviour was unruly.

The reason advanced as rationale for this lie is that I am a supporter of ASA president Leonard Chuene. Again, this is mischievous as Chuene is president and I am a board member. I find it ludicrous that, as a board member, there would be assertions that I support the president of ASA. It is a given. I sit on the board as a representative of the athletes.

ASA is the only official federation for athletes in the country. Athletes meeting and adopting motions still require the involvement of ASA if they are to be acted upon.

Finally, I take note that some athletes say that they wanted to discuss certain issues related to the sport. The meeting was therefore not meant to discuss Chuene, so why would I have disrupted it? If there were people who disrupted the meeting, why is it difficult to identify them to ascertain the reasons for their actions, instead of this speculation and aspersions on my person?

Whatever challenges athletes face, we need to deal with them within ASA. I appeal to all those who are associated with athletics to work within the structures of the federation, for the love of the sport.

Hendrik Mokganyetsi, Gauteng