The Africans are increasingly angy that their best athletes are being stolen by ''rich foreign powers'' denying them the opportunity of encouraging sport in their poor countries and want the issue of athlete citizenship tightened.

The Senegalese president of the International Association of Athletics Federations Lamine Diack told a meeting of the African National Olympic Committees he was frustrated that even though some African athletes were performing well on the track there were many African countries that were still not capable of qualifying an athlete (without a special invitation) for the Olympic Games. Currently each country is permitted a total of two competitors, one male and one female, in track and field and swimming without having to meet the tough Olympic qualifying criteria but Mr Diack raised the issue of increasing the number to six.

Athletes commission IOC member Frankie Fredericks said the issue would be discussed at future athlete commission meetings.

Currently Mozambique is scheduled to conduct next year's All-Africa Games, which is a continental qualifying for the London Olympics, but the African meeting heard that they may have to step in and prepare an alternative competition as a ''contingency'' because those Games are in financial and political doubt.

But the most concern among the African members was raised about the continuing trend of top African runners being poached to change nationalities.

Sao Tome and Principe national Olympic committee president Joao Alegre said the country had worked with the IOC's solidarity program to produce sporting opportunities but the athletes would then defect to European countries.

''We would like to hear the Sao Tome anthem and flag at the Olympics, but it won't happen,''said Alegre after the country's number one female athlete and European long jump star Naide Gomes switched allegiances to Portugal.

Mauritania delegates told the meeting: ''Africa is stepping backward in every domain. the quality of the athletes is not up to the task .. to compete and win and participate he needs money and transport and the African countries don't want that task. "We see our athletes co-opted by rich foreign powers, they take them away from Africa, this should not continue."