Athletics SA (ASA)‚ stopping just short of accepting blame for last year’s relay fiasco‚ says it is launching efforts to prepare teams for World Relays in April.

The federation made no concerted effort to co-ordinate the country’s fastest sprinters to ensure they could practise handovers and try qualify for the Rio Olympics.

A fully fit team featuring Akani Simbine‚ Wayde van Niekerk‚ Henricho Bruintjies and Anaso Jobodwana would have been podium contenders.

The first of ASA’s planned relay training camps kicks off in Pretoria today‚ with seven on the call-up list for the men’s 4x100m.

Squads are also being assembled for the men’s 4x400m as well as the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m races.

Neither 400m Olympic and world champion Van Niekerk nor Jobodwana‚ the 200m world championship bronze medallist who struggled with injury last year‚ are part of the squads.

“Last season we were questioned and often criticised for neglecting our relay potential‚” ASA president Aleck Skhosana said in a statement yesterday.

"We listened to all ...”

Skhosana said the main focus was the IAAF World Relay Championships in Bahamas on the weekend of April 22-23.

“We have already qualified for the 4x100m men‚ 4x100m women and in the 4x400m women.

“The 4x400m men are yet to qualify‚” added Skhosana.

ASA will enter relay teams in three of its four Speed Series events‚ beginning in Bloemfontein on March 8.

They will not be entered at the first meet in Durban on Tuesday evening.

Interestingly‚ ASA has planned to stage its national championships on the same weekend as the World Relays‚ although there has been talk the federation will move the SA showpiece forward. - TMG Digital