S. Santhi. — Photo: AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian athletics plunged into further gloom and embarrassment as news came through on Sunday that S. Santhi, who won the silver medal in the women's 800 metres in the Asian Games, had failed a `gender test' at Doha.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has decided to withdraw the medal from the Indian athlete and was in the process of officially intimating the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Replacement

That something could be amiss was known on the final day of the athletics programme last Tuesday when Santhi was withdrawn and in her place O. P. Jaisha was brought in. As ill luck would have it, Jaisha apparently clipped the heel of a runner in front, tripped and fell around the 200-metre mark and withdrew from the race.

Santhi was asked to leave early from Doha and return home alone a few days ago even as the whole of the country, especially Tamil Nadu, rejoiced the success of the girl from Pudukottai.

The rest of the athletics team returned in batches over the past two days, some of them to Bangalore, some to Mumbai and the rest to Delhi.

The OCA medical panel apparently took up the case on a `protest,' but it was not immediately known which team had protested about Santhi's gender. The athlete was also reported by the dope control authorities about the matter of gender, it is learnt.

The Tamil Nadu athlete had earlier competed and won the silver in the 800 metres in the Asian championships in Incheon, Korea, last year. In August this year, she also won the 1500m gold and the 800m silver in the South Asian Games in Colombo.

Gender verification

An expert speaking on condition of anonymity, said that normally such cases were handled by a panel including a gynaecologist, an endocrinologist, a psychologist and a genetic expert, among others, and all possible examinations and verifications done, including any tests if necessary, before a decision was forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

It is learnt that the OCA panel did come to the conclusion that Santhi had failed the gender verification test and accordingly informed the Coordination Committee of the OCA that oversees all such matters during a Games and the latter decided to withdraw the medal from India.

Comeback chances

A medical expert familiar with the rules and regulations of the international sports bodies said on Sunday that an athlete who failed a gender test could seek a review by an expert panel after two years following a surgery and hormone therapy and such an athlete, if cleared, could start competing again. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Secretary, Lalit K. Bhanot, when contacted on Sunday said that he was yet to get any official intimation from any of the agencies involved. He confirmed that Santhi was put through a gender verification test in Doha.

Coupled with the Seema Antil doping case that broke just before the athletics competitions began in Doha, Indian athletics has been pushed into a an embarrassing corner after this episode. How Santhi was cleared for participation when she had reportedly failed to satisfy medical authorities in the Southern Railway about her gender when she sought employment there sometime ago is a point that will come up for debate in the coming days.

Sportspersons are not subjected to any fitness tests or gender verification tests before participation in major international competitions, though they are put through random dope tests by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Expressing shock

In Chennai, Santhi's coach at the Prime Sports Academy, Nagarajan, expressed shock. The President of the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association, W.I. Davaram said that the news had come to him where SDAT was arranging a reception for Santhi.

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