Athletics SA (ASA) boss James Moloi will send a delegation to the Eastern Cape to track down disgraced long jump star Luvo Manyonga.
The athletics integrity unit provisionally suspended Manyonga for a doping whereabouts failure on his birthday on January 8.
Manyonga’s former agent Lee-Roy Newton had told Sowetan that the former Diamond League champion was battling drug addiction.
The 30-year-old is going through a rough patch and Moloi said the ASA board would not ignore his drug problem.
“We will put a small team together and summon it to the Eastern Cape to locate the athlete [Manyonga]. The delegation will meet him and discuss ways that we can help him. We will find out where he is. We know the potential of this young man. We will do this as soon as possible – that is part of the new board’s mandate. We must help him and I will make sure that it happens,” Moloi told Sowetan.
The new ASA board consists of five men and five women administrators. Moloi promised that the new board would get their hands dirty to serve athletes.
“We are talking to sponsors and it is promising. Soon we will call a press conference to reveal them and one of them will be a TV deal,” he said.
At the Olympics next month, Moloi said ASA’s target is to be in the top four. “If we can make the top four we will be happy. We want a stand-alone championship and to spread them all over the country. We also want to get the legends involved by taking them to short courses and workshops,” Moloi said.
ASA boss pledges to help Manyonga
Athletics body says it will help long jumper overcome his drug problem
Image: Fredrik Sandberg /TT News Agency via REUTERS
Athletics SA (ASA) boss James Moloi will send a delegation to the Eastern Cape to track down disgraced long jump star Luvo Manyonga.
The athletics integrity unit provisionally suspended Manyonga for a doping whereabouts failure on his birthday on January 8.
Manyonga’s former agent Lee-Roy Newton had told Sowetan that the former Diamond League champion was battling drug addiction.
The 30-year-old is going through a rough patch and Moloi said the ASA board would not ignore his drug problem.
“We will put a small team together and summon it to the Eastern Cape to locate the athlete [Manyonga]. The delegation will meet him and discuss ways that we can help him. We will find out where he is. We know the potential of this young man. We will do this as soon as possible – that is part of the new board’s mandate. We must help him and I will make sure that it happens,” Moloi told Sowetan.
The new ASA board consists of five men and five women administrators. Moloi promised that the new board would get their hands dirty to serve athletes.
“We are talking to sponsors and it is promising. Soon we will call a press conference to reveal them and one of them will be a TV deal,” he said.
At the Olympics next month, Moloi said ASA’s target is to be in the top four. “If we can make the top four we will be happy. We want a stand-alone championship and to spread them all over the country. We also want to get the legends involved by taking them to short courses and workshops,” Moloi said.
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