KUALA LUMPUR. Sept 8: Namibian sports officials Tuesday expressed shock at the withdrawal of their star and key athlete. Frankie Fredericks. from the Commonwealth Games, reports AP.

"He was our main hope." said Daan Nel. Chef de Mission of the Namibian contingent. He said he would be sending a letter to the Games' organising committee to inform them of Fredericks' withdrawal.

"We are shocked by his decision. The athletes feel the same way. He is a role model for them and suddenly that has been washed away." Nel was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Fredericks reportedly was upset about Namibia’s prime minister describing the country's new world boxing champion. Harry Simon, as Namibia's greatest athlete because Fredericks had never won an Olympic title.

Namibian officials thought Fredericks was affected by the tight scheduling of events in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games, which include the World Cup and Nelson Mandela competitions in South Africa, but had been confident that Fredericks would compete In Kuala Lumpur.

"This is really a personal thing. Fredericks was put in a tight situation and. in spite of that, we hoped he would have come here." Nel said.

T think, though, we must be human about this. He is entitled to his own choices."

Fredericks was to have run the 100-metre sprint and 4xl00-metre relay event here, a rare double for him in international competition. He normally competes in the 100-and 200-metre dashes, but with these events scheduled close together at the Games, he had decided to skip the 200-metre, the event in which he was crowned world champion In 1993.

The Namibian 4x100-metre team will still compete, but with a considerably weaker combination.

"I don't think they will achieve anything this time." said Nel.

With Fredericks' withdrawal. spectators will miss seeing one of the best sprinters. He is-ranked third on the all time'lfetfdr^he'TUO-Wel/e" Wth a personlUjest of 9.86 seconds.

Fredericks Is also the second fastest 200-metre runner in hls-toiy. behind the world record holder Michael Johnson of the United Slates.