FORMER sport administrator Banele Sindani has come out in support of the embattled Athletics South Africa boss Leonard Chuene following the latter's confession that he lied about the Caster Semenya gender verification tests.

At the same time, Sindani made it clear he has no intentions of going back to sport, let alone leading ASA should Chuene step down.

The support from Sindani is a major boost for Chuene whose future as president of ASA will be discussed by their council in Johannesburg tomorrow.

Sindani, who is now employed as a charity worker for a church organisation, worked with Chuene as chief executive of ASA until he resigned four years ago.

"Chuene remains my brother and comrade," said Sindani in response to an article in Sowetan yesterday in which certain quarters in sports said they wanted him back at ASA.

"I will fight to support Chuene. He and I worked together for a long time in the transformation of athletics in this country.

"That is why we are now seeing more athletes from the villages and townships doing so well.

"I have made a meaningful contribution and I'm happy with it. I'm out of sport now and have no intentions to come back."

Sowetan has learnt that at tomorrow's council meeting Chuene is set to meet a challenge by officials from Boland and Eastern Cape Athletics.

Boland is the provincial structure where Wilfred Daniels, who resigned from ASA as high performance coordinator two weeks ago, comes from.

In the Eastern Cape Athletics, Sowetan has learnt that Chuene's handling of the Semenya affair has divided the structure along racial lines. Blacks have openly supported Chuene.

"Thursday's meeting will see Africans, Coloureds and Indians on one side and whites on the other with the support of one or two regions in the Western Cape," said a top sports leader.

Chuene, who enjoys the support of influential politicians and sports leaders, has survived countless attempts to remove him and it remains to be seen if he will also succeed this time round.