Athletics South Africa (ASA) denied a report on Tuesday that gold medallist Caster Semenya and other contracted athletes had not been paid their allowances.
”It is not true,” said ASA general manager Molatelo Malehopo.
”All the athletes that have to be paid have been paid, including Caster Semenya,” he said.
Beeld reported earlier on Tuesday that Semenya did not have money to visit her mother in Limpopo because the association had not paid salaries to its contracted athletes.
Malehopo said certain high-performing athletes — not just Semenya — who were preparing for competitions received an allowance based on their performance.
He said he would be happy to receive information on athletes who had not been paid this performance-based allowance.
Responding to reports that Semenya did not have a passport to travel outside the country, Malehopo said: ”The report that comes from team management is that she left her passport in the plane. She has already applied for a new passport.”
Meanwhile, the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) had not yet handed over the R125Â 000 it pledged to Semenya, (R60Â 000), 800m male champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (R40Â 000) and silver long jump medallist Khotso Mokoena (R25Â 000) at a media conference in August.
League spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said arrangements were still being made for the hand-over ceremony, expected later in September.
ASA’s Malehopo said it had also not heard from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) yet on the controversial gender verification test reportedly conducted on Semenya.
”The IAAF has never communicated to us at this stage. We don’t know anything.”
The IAAF has not replied to emailed questions on when the test results would be available.
Semenya’s coach Wilfred Daniels resigned over the weekend, citing unhappiness over how she had been treated.
A decision on how the ASA would proceed following his resignation would be made later, said Malehopo. — Sapa