Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) General Secretary Frank  Chitembeya had an illicit relationship with promising sprint  athlete Chikondi Mkhalea and he  fathered a son, now two-years old.

Mkhalea is now destitute and lives off  her married elder sister in the shanty  Likhubula location of Zomba. The 23- year-old athlete said after she got impregnated,

Chitembeya took her in as  a concubine but it did not work out.

"I was married for three years but we  separated," Chikondi said last week in  Zomba in an interview with one of our  reporters.

"I cannot state the reasons why we  separated because it's none of your  business."

She admitted that the pregnancy and  early motherhood had affected the  development of her career.

"I haven't been active since I gave  birth two years ago because there  was nobody to look after my child to

enable me train and compete," she said.

"But I am now ready for a comeback  as I have already started training  although I find it difficult to train as I have nobody to babysit my child."

She also disclosed that Chitembeya  had not been too supportive as she  depends on her sister for survival.

AAM president Richard Nyirongo said  the association would investigate the  issue to establish the truth of the  matter.

"This is a serious issue and we will investigate  the matter," Nyirongo said.

"This issue has the potential to dent  the good image of the association and  also scare potential female athletes."

However, Chitembeya denied the allegations, which he said were being propagated by people who did not wish him well.

"As you know there are elections  in September and there are people  who are bent at damaging my reputation  so that I should fail. But I am  not worried and I know that they will

not succeed because in the end I will  sue them for tarnishing my image," he said.

Chitembeya even challenged this reporter to speak to Mkhalea and  gave out her phone number. Funny  enough, she immediately changed  tune and said Chitembeya was not

the father but another man who is  also based in Mzuzu just as Chitembeya  is.

"Why are you asking me these questions?

And who gave you my phone  number since I have only had this  phone for three days? How many  female athletes have become pregnant  and given birth and have had

their stories in the news?" she queried  in an angry tone.

Ironically, when asked to give the  phone number of the other man she  claimed fathered the kid, she said  she did not have it. But on the other  hand, Chitembeya had her phone

when she had only bought the phone  three days earlier and had not given  her new number to people.