ATHLETES have asked for an urgent meeting with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee to deal with issues relating to the administration of the beleaguered sport.

ATHLETES have asked for an urgent meeting with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee to deal with issues relating to the administration of the beleaguered sport.

"We have asked for a meeting with Sascoc through the office of its chief executive (Tubby Reddy)," Hendrick Ramaala said yesterday. "We are going to Sascoc because they have taken over the running of ASA.

"There are many things that we are not happy with. Athletes, juniors in particular, have been excluded from national teams. Nine children will not go to the World Junior Championships in Canada this week because they were told they had to re-qualify. Almost every day athletes complain about things done by the administrators. Athletics is dying.

"People have neglected the sport to focus on less important matters. They are now gunning for positions," said Ramaala, who resigned from the ASA interim board in March. This was after the former New York Marathon champ accused the ASA interim leadership of neglecting development.

Sascoc president Gideon Sam said: "I have not received anything from the athletes. But we had a board meeting earlier today where we received a preliminary report on forensic investigations of ASA. I cannot discuss the matter because we still have to brief the minister of sport (Makhenkesi Stofile)."

Meanwhile, ASA has indefinitely postponed the hearing of two athletics greats, Sam Mlangeni and Arnaud Malherbe, who are accused of making statements in the media regarding the running of sport in the country.