Mboma staying put – for now
• Sprint sensation breaks silence
The track and field superstar says she will honour her contractual obligations with her Namibian coach, amid rumours of a tumultuous split.
Limba MupetamiWindhoek
Sprint sensation Christine Mboma yesterday maintained she is not cutting ties with coach Henk Botha until her contract with him ends.
In a statement released yesterday afternoon, she said she has a contract with Botha until December this year and is not joining the camp of South African sprint coach Hennie Kriel - unlike her training partner Beatrice Masilingi.
The Olympic silver medallist added that she will also honour her contract agreement with South African agent Bradley Agnew from Newton Sports Agency. Clinical and performance psychologist Dr Kirsten van Heerden - also from Newton - in a statement yesterday confirmed that both Mboma and Masilingi are signed to the agency.
“Unfortunately, our athlete agreements are all confidential, as I’m sure you understand,” van Heerden told Namibian Sun yesterday when quizzed on the nature of the contract.
Jumping the gun
Before Mboma released yesterday’s statement, Newton told Namibian Sun that after a period of reflection and planning, both athletes decided, out of their own free will, to change coaches in order take the next steps in their professional careers.
“By joining Kriel in Pretoria, they will be surrounded by a world-class infrastructure and athletes. Kriel fully endorses the decision by Mboma and Masilingi to join his training group and looks forward to work with them.
“The athletes would again like to thank coach Henk Botha for his support and are grateful for his input into their careers so far,” the statement read.
‘False allegations’
“They understand that the decision may come as a shock to some, but want to assure the public, and in particular all Namibians, that they are committed to competing for their country to the best of their ability, and, as always, are grateful for the support and encouragement they have received,” the sports agency wrote.
The statement underlined: “Newton regrets recent unsubstantiated and false allegations made by Botha in the media about the athletes’ decision to further their careers under a new coach. Newton is committed to providing world-class service to all our athletes, and we remain committed to conducting business according to the highest ethical and professional standards as we have done over the past 11 years”.
On Wednesday, Namibian Sun reported that Botha “noticed at the end of last season that things were not in line” with Agnew, adding that the agent ‘tried to get rid of him’. He also mentioned certain ‘questionable conduct’ by Newton, which, he said, has been reported to World Athletics and the Namibian Olympic Committee.
Surprisingly, Mboma yesterday lashed out at her once-beloved coach in her media statement, saying: “I denounce any allegations levelled against Mr Agnew by Mr Botha, and would like to distance myself from such”.
“I will maintain the agent agreement with Newton Sports Agency and Mr Agnew as my agent,” she said.
She added: “After lengthy considerations, I decided to maintain the coaching agreement with Mr Botha, which is due to expire in December 2022.”
Sprint sensation Christine Mboma yesterday maintained she is not cutting ties with coach Henk Botha until her contract with him ends.
In a statement released yesterday afternoon, she said she has a contract with Botha until December this year and is not joining the camp of South African sprint coach Hennie Kriel - unlike her training partner Beatrice Masilingi.
The Olympic silver medallist added that she will also honour her contract agreement with South African agent Bradley Agnew from Newton Sports Agency. Clinical and performance psychologist Dr Kirsten van Heerden - also from Newton - in a statement yesterday confirmed that both Mboma and Masilingi are signed to the agency.
“Unfortunately, our athlete agreements are all confidential, as I’m sure you understand,” van Heerden told Namibian Sun yesterday when quizzed on the nature of the contract.
Jumping the gun
Before Mboma released yesterday’s statement, Newton told Namibian Sun that after a period of reflection and planning, both athletes decided, out of their own free will, to change coaches in order take the next steps in their professional careers.
“By joining Kriel in Pretoria, they will be surrounded by a world-class infrastructure and athletes. Kriel fully endorses the decision by Mboma and Masilingi to join his training group and looks forward to work with them.
“The athletes would again like to thank coach Henk Botha for his support and are grateful for his input into their careers so far,” the statement read.
‘False allegations’
“They understand that the decision may come as a shock to some, but want to assure the public, and in particular all Namibians, that they are committed to competing for their country to the best of their ability, and, as always, are grateful for the support and encouragement they have received,” the sports agency wrote.
The statement underlined: “Newton regrets recent unsubstantiated and false allegations made by Botha in the media about the athletes’ decision to further their careers under a new coach. Newton is committed to providing world-class service to all our athletes, and we remain committed to conducting business according to the highest ethical and professional standards as we have done over the past 11 years”.
On Wednesday, Namibian Sun reported that Botha “noticed at the end of last season that things were not in line” with Agnew, adding that the agent ‘tried to get rid of him’. He also mentioned certain ‘questionable conduct’ by Newton, which, he said, has been reported to World Athletics and the Namibian Olympic Committee.
Surprisingly, Mboma yesterday lashed out at her once-beloved coach in her media statement, saying: “I denounce any allegations levelled against Mr Agnew by Mr Botha, and would like to distance myself from such”.
“I will maintain the agent agreement with Newton Sports Agency and Mr Agnew as my agent,” she said.
She added: “After lengthy considerations, I decided to maintain the coaching agreement with Mr Botha, which is due to expire in December 2022.”
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