Oscar Mavundla is spitting fire after being dropped from the athletics team which opens event in Tokyo today. Athletics SA told Mavundla it wanted to reduce the numbers, hence he couldn't travel to Japan.

When the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) announced the final team going to Tokyo, Mavundla's name was there.

He told his community in his rural village in Limpopo that he would represent his country at the Games in the 4x400m relays.

However, suddenly, he is no longer going to the Olympics because ASA dropped two out of the eight relay athletes to balance the numbers.

ASA put him on standby, and wrote a letter to him and his coach to explain the reasons for dropping him.

However, Mavundla is furious.

In a letter seen by Sowetan, Mavundla vents at the decision taken by ASA.

“I find the criteria unfair and it happened when I had packed my bags and was ready to go to Tokyo because I qualified. I had my best season in athletics and made the 4x400m relay team in the World Relay Challenge in Poland in May. I am from a poor background in Limpopo and rely on athletics to make a difference,” said Mavundla.

When he received a letter from ASA a few days before departure, Mavundla had already attended a few radio interviews talking about his debut Olympics.

“World Athletics informed ASA and Sascoc that the [WA] rule for relays now insists that all athletes entered for the individual 100m and 400m must be included in the relay teams, even if they will not participate in the relays; this rule has unfortunately forced us to place you to none then non-travelling reserve position,” the letter read.

“I am depressed and quitting is the only option because I have been in the sport for many years dreaming that someday I will be an Olympian. I have lost money preparing for a dream taken away from me,” he said.

ASA acting CEO Terrence Magogodela said it would consider him for the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships in England and the USA next year.

ASA excellence manager Hezekiel Sepeng said it is nothing personal against Mavundla. 

“You cannot qualify for the 4x400m relay as an individual. The relay qualifies. That means the team can change anytime. There is no guarantee for any athlete to be part of the team at the Olympics even if they qualified.

“Only six athletes can enter for the relay and we had eight. Individual athletes are automatically part of the relay, and we had six and had to drop two – Mavundla and Pieter Conradie. We followed the World Athletics criteria, and it is not ASA criteria. We feel for him, but rules are rules,” said Sepeng.