A TOP athletics official in Cameroon yesterday slated Africa's spoilt stars for sidestepping the African "Championships. Colonel Kalkaba Malboum, the president of the Cameroon Athletic Federation hosting the five-day event which begins today, said: "It's disappointing not just for me but for African athletics.

"We face difficulties with lack of money and lack of equipment but we still stage the championships... but the big names don't come to help or inspire the young who regard them as models.

"They should contribute. They became famous because we helped to promote them. Saying they are staying away to prepare for the Olympics is just an excuse.

World champions like Haile Gebreselassie, Noureddine Morceli and Moses Kiptanui are not expected to compete, although Malboum said he did not have up-to-date lists of which countries or athletes would be at the opening ceremony. Officially, 38 countries and 530 athletes are down to compete.

Malboum argued that the championships would still be a success. "We may not see the champions of today but we will see those of tomorrow," he said. "Africa has always produced great champions and they have all appeared at the African Championships."

Malboum blamed athletes' managers for the lack of stars, saying: "I don't know if it's all about money but the managers sell the athletes and they influence them." National federations have also been blamed for not demanding their stars compete.