Athletics
Ramaala focuses on ASA role
2010-10-20 21:10
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Hendrick Ramaala (Gallo Images)
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Johannesburg - Hendrick Ramaala will put his athletics career on temporary hold while he focuses on his new role as assistant administrator of Athletics SA (ASA).
Board member Ramaala was chosen to run the ASA office earlier this month after Ray Mali was whisked away to help the troubled Gauteng Cricket Board, and his assistant, Boland Athletics CEO Richard Stander, walked out.
ASA was plunged into disarray last year when the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) suspended its president Leonard Chuene, his entire executive and staff for their handling of the Caster Semenya gender debacle.
SASCOC is still embroiled in a legal battle with Chuene and two other board members.
Ramaala, 38, holds a law degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.
On Wednesday, he said he would take part in the New York marathon next month, as scheduled, but would not commit to any races next year.
"I'm still aiming at the London Olympics in 2012, and I'm in good shape for New York, but apart from that I have nothing planned.
"I might run the London Marathon in April, but I'm not sure yet, and I can't promise that I'll compete at next year's World Championships (in Daegu, South Korea)."
The multiple South African record holder over various distances clocked a personal best over 42.2km in London in 2006, when he finished third in 2:06.55.
He expects to be in the mix in New York, then plans to tackle challenges at the ASA office while his athletics career takes a back seat.
"When I was looking in from the outside, the situation at the federation seemed hopeless," Ramaala said.
"Now I'm in the office, I can see that we will get through the problems we face and I'm looking forward to the challenge."
The biggest of those problems, he said, was a shortage of funding.
Track and field sponsors, the Yellow Pages, signed a three-year deal earlier this year, but there had since been negative publicity involving prize money payments and selection criteria.
"Hopefully Yellow Pages stay on board," Ramaala said.
"We also need a sponsor to cover licensing costs, and if we get enough help from the Lotto board, we'll manage."
Ramaala will toe the line in New York for the ninth time on November 7.
He won the race in 2004 and finished a fraction of a second behind Kenyan Paul Tergat in a sprint finish in 2005.