Johannesburg - South Africa's two leading sports entities resolved their differences on Thursday over alleged racist remarks about transformation in sport .

The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee and parliament's portfolio committee on sport and recreation have been at loggerheads over a remark that Sascoc did not understand transformation in sport.

"It was important for us to put this cloud behind us," said Moss Mashishi, president of Sascoc, which represents all major sports federations.

"I'm happy that we had good, frank and construction discussions. The explanation that was given was acceptable to me," added Mashishi.

At a joint press conference in Johannesburg, National Assembly sports committee chairperson Butana Komphela said he clarified his alleged racist remark in a meeting requested by Mashishi.

Komphela said his comment should be seen in the context of transformation.

'Lack vision'

"He [Mashishi] understood my point of view around the transformation. I am prepared to work with him. There is no big deal," said Komphela.

Komphela reportedly said, while referring to the pace of transformation in sport, that Sascoc was "full of whites and Indians who don't understand transformation and lack vision".

Sascoc subsequently said it would no longer report to the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport and recreation and indicated that it would lay a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

But the two parties announced on Thursday that they had a "frank and constructive discussion" where Komphela said: "To the extent that these comments were interpreted as racist, it is unfortunate and regrettable and was certainly not the intent."

But he insisted that his comment "was not wrong".

Mashishi declined to give the racial break-down of representatives on Sascoc's general council, saying only that it was an "overall reflection of the state of progress on this issue".

Good sports facilities

Mashishi said the only way to speed up transformation in sport was through additional funding.

"The issue of funding is at the heart of the ability to address transformation," he said, adding that good sports facilities needed to be set up in townships.

Komphela agreed that more funding was needed.

Both Komphela and Mashishi denied that their truce was the result of political pressure.

"I don't want people to distort it as political pressure. There was no political pressure at all," said Komphela.

Sascoc will meet with the parliamentary portfolio committee on sport when it returns from the Olympic Games in Beijing.