New Delhi: South African Caster Semenya's
gender verification test controversy may not have a direct
bearing on India but the country's athletics body is closely
following the matter to see if it can make out a case for
Tamil Nadu athlete Santhi Soundarajan.
Soundarajan was stripped of her 2006 Doha Asian Games
800m silver medal after she failed a gender verification test
and Athletics Federation of India is closely watching whether
Semenya returns the 800m gold medal that she won in the Berlin
World Championships last month if she fails a similar test.
AFI General Secretary Lalit Bhanot said if the
International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) does not ask
Semenya to return the gold medal in case she fails the gender
test, it will mull over asking Olympic Council of Asia to
return Soundarajan's silver.
"I am not jumping the gun. It is a very sensitive issue
so first of all we will wait till November 21 when the IAAF
announces the result of Semenya's gender verification test and
we will decide whether to ask (Olympic Council of Asia) to
return the silver won by Soundarajan," Bhanot told reporters today.
"IAAF's decision whether to strip Semenya her gold if she
fails the gender test will be very important and we will go
from there. We will discuss our medical commission and decide
on the course of action," Bhanot added.
Asked whether there was any time limit to appeal for
Soundarajan's case as nearly three years have already passed
he said, "We can do it (ask for return) any time."
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 17:10