Visiting IAAF president faces hostile reception
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday October 26, 2018 12:41
The women’s groups are against the IAAF’s decision to introduce gender testing for athletes with different sexual development. The affected races are from 400m to a mile, with the regulation seen as targeting athletes like South Africa’s Caster Semenya, who was forced to undergo an embarrassing sex verification test in 2009, to ascertain whether she was female or not.
A petition was signed during the International Working Group (IWG) World Conference on Women and Sport in Gaborone last year, where women’s group strongly condemned IAAF’s proposed regulation. The petition was submitted to the IAAF by Women Sports Africa Network.
“The decision is not only grossly discriminatory against certain women athletes, it is also a violation of human rights and smacks IAAF’s attempts to reintroduce its archaic sex tests or gender verification,” the petition reads.
IWG board member, Game Mothibi said they are keen to meet Coe during his visit to Gaborone. She said as IWG, they challenged the new IAAF rule, by taking an international position.
“We partnered with Women Sport International, Women Sports Africa Network and University of Toronto and made a statement opposing the new rule. We felt that it was discriminatory and it talks to women in sport. Why can’t tests be on all other advantages not only testosterone?” Mothibi argued.
“We had Caster Semenya here and we have made it clear that we support her. We are waiting for her case to proceed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS),” she said.
Mothibi said Coe is coming to Botswana after the IWG Conference and hopes to have an opportunity to talk to him. “We also hope to hear the voice of Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) on the matter. I want Coe to be aware of our stand as a continent. We want him to be aware of our petition. He is the right person to hear us,” she said.
Chairperson of South African Women and Sport Foundation (SAWASF), Ntambi Ravele, also a member of Women Sport Africa Network (WSAN), told Mmegi Sport that Coe decided to come to Botswana instead of South Africa because he is aware of the strong opposition on the gender discrimination.
“He is aware that the government, civil society and media are up in arms about IAAF’s intentions,” she said.
Ravele said it is an issue that is affecting Africa and Asia. She added that it is not only a South African problem. She said after Semenya, there would be another athlete targeted.
She pointed out that in the past IAAF had lost a case against an Indian athlete. “Coe must come and explain to South Africans his position on gender testing. If he thinks they have enough facts, why not come to South Africa,” Ravele asked.
The IAAF has not started applying the rule until the CAS concludes an appeal lodged by Semenya. IAAF has agreed to postpone the intended November 1 start of the eligibility rules until CAS gives a verdict, which is expected on or before March.
The target date is six months and two days before the start of the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.