Hlokomelo Mabogale |
Caster Mokgadi Semenya has yet again, being denied to do what she does best, running 800m race by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The IAAF (World Athletics) Regulations on Female Athletes has come under the scrutiny.
Semenya is unable to defend the 800m title she won for a second time at the 2016 Rio Olympics because the World Athletics has introduced regulations that require her to take testosterone-limiting medication and she does not want to.
After a ruling against her, the department of sports, arts and culture in South Africa released a statement and said that the recent decision of the Swiss Federal Court is very unfortunate and offensive to the fundamental human rights of female athletes classified hyperandrogenic.
On the medical front, the World Medical Association (WMA) also condemned these Regulations and called upon all doctors and medical scientists across the globe to take no part in their implementation.
In its statement of the 29th April 2019, the Association demanded immediate withdrawal of the Regulations as they constitute a flagrant discrimination based on genetic variation of female athletes and are contrary to international medical ethics.
It further expressed “fears that athletes like Semenya would be coerced to take unjustified medication not based on medical need, and further indicated that it is unethical for physicians to prescribe treatment for endogenous testosterone if the condition is not recognised as pathological.”
Minister Nathi Mthethwa said “… we will study the judgement and consider various options and avenues at our disposal in our collective campaign to fight this injustice. We call upon all South Africans, Africans and the entire world to rally behind Caster in our quest to defeat injustice against Women in Sport and in particular African Women.”
