Caster not in SA squad

Middle-distance star Caster Semenya has not been included in the South African provisional Tokyo Olympic Games squad.

This became apparent yesterday after a meeting between the portfolio committee on sports, arts and culture and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).

Sascoc had been invited to parliament to inform the committee on South Africa’s preparedness for the Tokyo Games – held over from last year because of the pandemic and scheduled to take place in July.

Double Olympic 800m champion Semenya is now no longer part of the provisional athletics squad, even though she was initially included, along with formerly injured 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, in the squad at the end of 2019.

It was said then that her place was dependent on the outcome of an appeal lodged at the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland regarding gender rules on women.

Semenya lost her appeal, but she has taken the matter up with the European Court of Human Rights, with papers being filed next month.

President of Athletics South Africa Aleck Skosana said yesterday Semenya had not been included in the latest provisional squad because of this matter.

Sascoc chair Beauty Dlulane reiterated the committee’s continued support for Semenya.

“We are concerned that this [matter] has affected Caster’s preparation,” she said.

“This issue of rules unjustly disadvantages Caster and denies her rights to participation and qualification and the committee’s view is that those rules are unfair.”

While she has been sidelined from her favoured middle-distance events, Semenya has said she hopes to qualify for the Tokyo Games in the 200m sprint, a feat she has not yet achieved.

This issue of rules unjustly disadvantes Caster.

Beauty Dlulane Chair of Sascoc