Cameroon suspends Olympic athletics champion
9 hours ago
YAOUNDE (AFP) — Cameroon’s Olympic triple jump champion Francoise Mbango has been suspended for an indefinite period over her absence from the African Games in Algiers in July, the athletics federation of Cameroon has announced.
Federation official Francis Bilock said Mbango had been suspended because of her “failure to participate in international competition”.
He said the ban would remain in place until the Athens 2004 Olympic champion has explained why she failed to attend the African Games in July, and failed to pay back expenses money she was given to attend.
Since her Athens victory Mbango’s attitude has been heavily criticised in Cameroon, particularly her refusal to participate in the world championships in Helsinki in 2005.
Last week Senegal’s athletics ruling body effectively ruled 400 metres athlete Amy Mbacke Thiam out of next year’s Olympics by imposing a one-year ban on the former world champion>
Thiam’s ban was for “discourteous” remarks made to Senegalese athletics chiefs following her mediocre performances at the world championships in Osaka, Japan.
What is that rubbish again?
FM hasn’t competed at all in 2006 and 2007 (pregnancy). My guess is that she was given a training grant for All Africa Games and since she hasn’t competed there (nowhere else actually) they want their money back (around 1000 USD i’ve heard).
Some might consider $1000 a small price to pay to someone for putting their country on the map in terms of sporting, and specifically Olympic, global awareness. Petty cash, petty minds.:rolleyes:
Suspensions for speaking out, I didnt realise Senegal was a dictatorship. Then again, systems of governance based on beaucracy ultimately leds to injustice.
Democracy under beauacracy isn’t really democracy. Power is distributed under a hiearchy of postions, none of which are voted in. T&F is a true beauacracy.
