Caster Semenya peeved by Athletics SA's ‘futile’ Athletes Indaba

The two-time 800m Olympic gold medallist expressed her view to SABC Sport, asserting that the Indaba lacks any meaningful purpose and ultimately squanders athletes ‘precious time. 

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According to Semenya, athletes would be better off steering clear of the event and dedicating their focus to training, rather than spending a day merely listening to unfulfilled promises.

"That's why I don't attend things like Indabas, because I feel like it's a waste of my time to sit there for hours, talking about the same things that I'm going to talk about next year – nothing that has been done," said an irked Semenya.

"I want to be in a meeting that talks about the transformation, not talk about, 'We're planning now' – go plan in your office, it's your job to plan.

"Come and say, 'This is what we have planned, how can we execute this?' Tell the athletes, and they will tell you, 'We think this can be done, that can be done', and then go execute – simple, because we're here to guide you.

"Don't come to us during the Indabas and tell us, 'Athletes, this is what you should do.' No, no, no. Ask us, 'How can we assist you?' Then we'll tell you, 'This is where we lack; this is where we think you should focus on; this is what you should do.'"

Semenya also argues that summoning athletes to participate in the Indaba is a misallocation of funds, where money is expended on beverages and catering instead of being utilised for the athletes’ actual welfare and advantages.

"You waste a lot of money hosting events, but you don't have money for athletes? Where do we get the money to host [Indabas], if you don't have money, first of all?" she questioned.

"Where do we have money for catering; where do we have money for that? As leaders, we need to start prioritising. Yes, there's no money, so why are we doing an Indaba, if we don't have money for athletes?

"How much is spent on those drinks, alcohol, VIP [guests], all these things? You see, it comes with [not] knowing the priorities of the athletes.

"If we say, 'We don't have money,' cut all those budgets for useless events that don't help athletes get from one place to another."

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