NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – South Africa’s Olympic committee has criticised Olympic long jump silver medallist Khotso Mokoena for what it called unacceptable behaviour after his failure to board the plane for the Commonwealth Games.
Mokoena, a silver medallist in Beijing in 2008, was cleared to compete after a leg muscle injury yet neither he nor national sprint champion Simon Magakwe made the flight from Johannesburg.
“The athlete was cleared by the chief medical doctor…and asked to come to New Delhi but refused to board the plane,” Tubby Reddy, chief executive officer of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, said in a statement.
“We find the behaviour unacceptable.
“We have also noted the no-show of Magakwe, and as we had not been aware of any injury…we will also be investigating why he did not arrive.”
The absences are a further blow to South Africa’s chances of gold medals in track and field following the withdrawal through injury of world 800 metre champions Caster Semenya and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi.
