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Commentary Page
We invite commentaries from writers all over. The subject is about
Ghana and the world. We reserve the right to accept or reject
submissions, but we are not necessarily responsible for the opinions
expressed in articles we publish......MORE
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All is fair in war
and love, IAAF case against Semenya
E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Ghanadot
It is surprising to learn these days that the question of gender
has nothing to do with the nature of a woman’s genitalia.
Because of the findings of some internal tests, Caster Semenya,
the South African black athlete, will soon be defined as a
medical oddity by the IAAF.
Thus Semenya’s whole world will change overnight on account of
winning one race at the World Athletic Games in Berlin in August
of this year.
And, neither her Mum nor her father, her village nor the midwife
or doctor that assisted in her birth could change that outcome
of being a gender quirk. She will from now on be described
behind smirks as something other than a woman.
The immediate consequence will be the fate of this 18 year old
woman when she takes the tracks again. It is doubtful whether
she will do so another time in a sport where her achievements, past and
future, would be described as non-events from now on. In effect,
her whole career as an athlete has been destroyed.
Not being an athlete myself, I must confess ignorance about what
goes on in the sports world or in the minds of talented athletes
like Semenya. But I saw her 800 meter record breaking race in
Berlin. Behind her in the tracks were other females with
rippling muscles just like hers. I am curious to learn whether
any test was done on these athletes before they were allowed to
compete as females?
Yet, Semenya gender status was overtly undermined before her
record breaking race in Berlin by officials of the IAAF. And the
consequences are now coming in.
The Associated Press stated in a headline on Friday September 11
that “Caster Semanya Withdraws From Competition Amid
Speculation.”
The AP described Semenya as the winner of the 800 meters race at
the world track meet last month in Berlin and that “ At that
meet, international track officials said that Semenya, a
muscular 18-year-old, needed to undergo sex-determination
testing to confirm her further eligibility.” Notice that AP did
not describe her as 18 year old woman.
When Semenya’s coach was asked why she would not participate in
the up-coming competition, he simply said that “she was not
feeling well.” But, of course, who would after the notoriety of
Berlin?
One would have thought that in the world of track and field
sports where the emphasis is on the individual, fairness would
be part of the consideration. That if you want to exclude non
females from participating on the basis of an internal medical
test, you would do same test on all supposedly female athletes,
with or without rippling muscles that show up on the track for
the same race. Apparently, this was not done in the case for
Semenya.
So I am left to suspect that someone saw her run in the heats
and decided on the basis of her performance, not her looks
alone, to exclude her from the finals. She was just too much for
the other ladies with rippling muscles.
Thus, the World Athletic body, with prejudice before the race
was run and without a prior medical test on Semenya, unabashedly
announced its doubt about Semenya’s gender. In effect, they
threw a psychological obstacle in her path before an all
important race.
The timing of the announcement could have affected her
performance and denied her the medal even though the possibility
existed that a medical test conducted after the race could have
proven her to be a full female. This possibility was obviously
not worthy of consideration to august officials of a world
athletic body intent on causing harm.
As of today, the IAAF has confirmed to the world media that they
have received the results of Caster Semenya's gender test, amid
reports from the same media that she has also been found to have
an inter gender condition, meaning she is internally both man
and woman. Strike out her external gender organ now.
According to the Associated Press (AP), “the international track
federation’s findings would not confirm or deny the
reports…saying only that its decision would be announced in
November.”
Ironically, these officials must have known before the result of
the medical test that a gender could not be absolutely
determined by the medical labs. It could not be determined in
the case of Semenya. Nor, could the same test prove the gender
status of the other so called female athletes that competed with
her at Berlin.
We have the words of Arne Ljungqvist, the former medical
commission chairman for track’s world governing body, quoted by
the AP, saying “that a person’s sex is not always easy to
define.”
And that “There is no simple, single lab test that can tell if
you are a man or a woman...It is not black and white.”
Sure, but too bad, Ljungqvist couldn’t restrain the officials of
his former organization, who had picked Semenya out of a field
of other athletes that visually could have passed as women in
men’s bodies, from requesting for the extra-ordinary test. Could
the reason be that these officials were bent on causing
mischief?
In any case, the harm has been done. The officials can now hide
behind the uncertainty of the test pointed out by Arne
Ljungqvist, the former chair of the medical body of the same
athletic organization.
So, the cruel truth of the saying that “All is fair in war and
love” is again revealed. If you cannot defeat them on the field,
you can sure do so at the lab. Unfortunately for the world, the
saying becomes more racial when the victim happens to be a
talented black athlete competing against other untested women
who have no chance of winning against her.
E.
Ablorh-Odjidja, Publisher
www.ghanadot.com, Washington, DC, September 12, 2009
Permission to publish: Please feel free to publish or
reproduce, with credits, unedited. If posted at a website,
email a copy of the web page to
publisher@ghanadot.com . Or don't publish at all.
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President Mills assures Ghanaians of better times ahead
Gomoa Assin, Sept. 11, GNA – President John Evans Atta Mills, on
Friday assured Ghanaians of better times ahead, and urged them
to exercise patience since his administration is on track to
meet their aspirations...
More |
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Reshuffle ministers, Bagin tells Prez
Mills
Accra, Sept 11, Ghanadot - The majority leader in
Parliament, Alban Bagin has called for a reshuffle in the
nine-month old Mills administration. Mr. Bagbin said it
would do the young government a lot of good if a reshuffle
was carried out.
...More |
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Kufuor leaves for worldwide tour
Accra, Sept. 11, Ghanadot/GNA - Former President John
Agyekum Kufuor left Accra on Thursday night for a three-week
working visit to the US, Europe and Asia......More
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All is fair in war and love, IAAF case
against Semenya
Commentary,
Sept 12, Ghanadot - Unfortunately for the world, the
saying becomes more racial when the victim happens to be a
talented black athlete competing against other untested women
who have no chance of winning against her.
....More |
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