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Cape Town - Suspended Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene has praised God after the International Association of Athletics Federations cleared star 800m athlete Caster Semenya to compete as a woman, according to a report in the Sowetan.
Sowetan on Tuesday tracked down Chuene, who has been quiet since the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee suspended him and his board on the basis of their handling of the Semenya gender verification tests.
“It has been a hectic day for me today(Tuesday) because everybody has been calling me after the story was leaked to a newspaper in London,” Chuene said. “The newspaper quoted sources within the IAAF (saying) that our wonderful girl has been cleared to run as a woman again.
“This is exactly what I have said from day one, that Caster is a woman and I did not understand why certain people, some of them who are here in South Africa, were questioning her gender. I don’t want to say the ASA board and I have been vindicated, but we are happy that the IAAF has endorsed our decision. Many people who have been calling also feel that I have been vindicated.
“I want to thank God the Almighty and everybody who supported our decision to back Caster as a woman. I want to take this opportunity to wish Caster all the best in all her competitions. She is going to win a gold medal at 2012 London Olympics. I don’t have any doubt about this.”
Sowetan on Tuesday tracked down Chuene, who has been quiet since the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee suspended him and his board on the basis of their handling of the Semenya gender verification tests.
“It has been a hectic day for me today(Tuesday) because everybody has been calling me after the story was leaked to a newspaper in London,” Chuene said. “The newspaper quoted sources within the IAAF (saying) that our wonderful girl has been cleared to run as a woman again.
“This is exactly what I have said from day one, that Caster is a woman and I did not understand why certain people, some of them who are here in South Africa, were questioning her gender. I don’t want to say the ASA board and I have been vindicated, but we are happy that the IAAF has endorsed our decision. Many people who have been calling also feel that I have been vindicated.
“I want to thank God the Almighty and everybody who supported our decision to back Caster as a woman. I want to take this opportunity to wish Caster all the best in all her competitions. She is going to win a gold medal at 2012 London Olympics. I don’t have any doubt about this.”
