Sepeng excluded from world champs squad

Hezekiel Sepeng, South Africa's most experienced international track and field athlete, has seemingly shot himself in the foot again.

The South African 800 meters record holder was excluded yesterday from the 19-member provisional national squad to compete in the ninth IAAF world championships in Paris from August 23 to 31.

Sepeng did not compete in any of the Engen Grand Prix Summer Series meetings during the recently-concluded domestic season, and did not come up with a valid excuse.

Competing in at least one Absa Series and one Engen Series meet, as well as in the Absa national championships in Port Elizabeth three weeks back, was essential for athletes wishing to be considered for Paris.

Sepeng, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 1999 Seville World Championships silver medallist, produced a medical certificate justifying his absence from the nationals, but inexplicably missed all three Summer Series events.

According to Athletics South Africa (ASA) chief executive Banele Sindani, the Potchefstroom star, who will be 29 in three weeks' time, had been left out of the provisional Paris squad because "he has not satisfied all the ASA criteria".

Sindani refused to speculate on whether Sepeng would ultimately be left out of the final team for Paris, which will be named as close to the championships as allowed by the IAAF.

"Our elite coaches' co-ordinating committee selected this squad and they will select the final team," he said.

"I do not want to pre-empt this matter because I don't know what Hezekiel is going to say (in his defence)," added Sindani. "For all I know, he might make an appeal against his exclusion."

Last year, Sepeng landed in hot water with authorities when he "disappeared" in Amsterdam before the Commonwealth Games and was booted off the team for the Manchester showpiece.

He subsequently proved he had sustained an injury and escaped with a warning.

But if Sepeng does miss the Paris event, it could signal the end of a sparkling international career for a brilliant athlete who burst onto the international stage as a 19-year-old farmhand by finishing fifth in the 800m final at the 1993 Stuttgart world championships.

Neither Sepeng, who is desperate to qualify for next year's Athens Olympics, nor his coach, Jean Verster, could be reached on Monday.

Meanwhile, Sindani emphasised that the 15 men and four women who make up the provisional squad are the only South African athletes to have qualified via various routes since qualifying windows opened in mid-2002.

The majority - Frantz Kruger, Janus Robberts, Llewellyn Herbert, LJ van Zyl, Marnus Kritzinger, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Morné Nagel, Ockert Cilliers, Okkert Brits, Shaun Bownes, former Namibian Sherwin Vries, Heide Seyerling-Quinn, Surita Febbraio and world champion Hestrie Cloete - earned their places the hard way, by attaining tough ASA qualifying standards.

This cream of the crop are seen as having the potential to reach their respective finals in Paris and challenge for medals.

Marcus la Grange, Paul Gorries and Geraldine Pillay have achieved IAAF "A" standards and are included on the basis that they have the potential to win medals in the future.

Alexander Motone and Sivuyile Dlongwana fall into ASA's "C" category - women and athletes from disadvantaged communities with the potential for medals in the future.

If the pair get the nod for the final team, they will become the first steeplechasers to represent South Africa in a major contest since readmission.

Josia Thugwane, Gert Thys, Hendrick Ramaala and Ian Syster have qualified for the marathon and, barring injury or illness, are deemed automatic qualifiers.