CHRISTINE Mboma's coach Henk Botha faces "legal action over false and defamatory statements" from the Newton Agency, as the battle for the gifted athlete rumbles on.

The South African agency is also threatening similar action against two Namibian dailies, the New Era and the Namibian Sun, after they reported that "Mboma is desperate to sever ties with the company".

In the reports, carried by the two publications last week, Botha confirmed that their lawyers were working on ending her association with the agency following a fallout over finances.

"At present, Ms Mboma is still represented by Newton Agency, and the company has to date received no notification from her indicating a desire to terminate her agreement," Newton Agency said in a statement yesterday.

"In fact, as of today, Ms Mboma's official Instagram account continues to indicate that she is represented by the agency.

Earlier this year, Botha was warned "to refrain from making further false and defamatory allegations about Newton Agency, after Ms Mboma had initially indicated her desire to train in South Africa with a new coaching team".

Mboma is yet to train with the South African coach and remains under the tutelage of Botha.

Should Mboma want to cut ties with the athletes management firm, she can do so procedurally, Newton Agency said.

"An exit clause protecting both parties is standard in every athlete representative contract. Therefore, there would be no need for protracted legal deliberations should either party wish to terminate the agreement before its official end date," the statement said.

"The company has instructed its attorneys to consider the appropriate legal action against Mr Botha, the New Era and the Namibian Sun. We reserve our rights in this regard. Newton Agency is committed to providing world-class service to all its athletes across the world, and we remain committed to conducting business according to the highest ethical and professional standards as we have done over the past 11 years."