South Africa would continue to fight against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)’s ban of Caster Semenya from running unless she took drugs to regulate her testosterone levels, Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa has said.
Semenya lost her challenge against the IAAF testosterone rules on Wednesday after the Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) ruled against the double World and Olympic 800m champion runner‚ prompting Xasa’s impassioned response.
The superstar was fighting measures imposed by the IAAF that seek to force “hyperandrogenic” athletes — or those with “differences of sexual development” (DSD) — to lower their testosterone levels by taking drugs if they wished to compete as women.
“Naturally, we are disappointed with the judgement‚” Xasa said on Wednesday after the CAS verdict was announced.
“However‚ we have directed Athletics South Africa (ASA) to request a copy of the full judgment. We will study the judgement‚ consider it and determine a way forward.
“As the South African government, we have always maintained that these regulations trample on the human rights and dignity of Caster Semenya and other women athletes. We will comment further after studying the full judgement,” the minister said.
Xasa said ASA‚ as a member of the IAAF‚ should take the matter up in the General Council of members of the IAAF.
“ASA should continue to lobby other National Athletics Associations in other jurisdictions to internally oppose these regulations‚ to continue to put the necessary pressure on the IAAF to see the impact of these regulations on global human rights tenets and frameworks,” she added.
NM/jn/APA