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Johannesburg - Team South Africa's Chief Medical Officer Shuaib Manjra has withdrawn Caster Semenya from the Dehli Commonwealth Games starting on Sunday October 3.
Manjra, in a SASCOC statement, said that Semenya underwent medical testing in Johannesburg on Tuesday and scans have confirmed a back injury.
Semenya also confirmed that she had been suffering serious lower back pain and had not been comfortable during her last few races.
SASCOC's medical team had only been made aware of her condition in the last 48 hours and immediately requested that the athlete undergo medical testing.
Manjra said the athlete's well-being and health were priorities and while her absence robbed South Africa of a potential gold medallist, he did not want to risk serious injury with the pending 2011 Athletics World Championships and London's 2012 Olympics.
"It would serve no purpose to have an athlete in Delhi who was struggling with any sort of injury that would compromise performance and it is our medical view that physically and emotionally she would not be capable of doing justice to her talent at an event of this magnitude," said Majra, who added that no final medical decision had been made in relation to long jump specialist Khotso Mokoena and 800m World Champion Mbualeni Mulaudzi, whose participation is also in doubt.
Marjra said: "We are awaiting the result of an MRI scan conducted on Mulaudzi on Tuesday and we have to assess Khotso's readiness in competing at a tournament post recovery from an injury."
Many top athletes have decided to skip the troubled Commonwealth Games
in New Delhi, citing fatigue, injury, security fears, or other reasons.
List
of major names who are eligible, but have pulled out:
Usain
Bolt (JAM) - 100m and 200m world record holder.
Asafa Powell (JAM) -
defending Commonwealth 100m champion
Paula Radcliffe (ENG) -
marathon world record holder
Jessica Ennis (ENG) - world and European
heptathlon champion
Christine Ohuruogu (ENG) - Olympic 400m gold
medallist
Phillips Idowu (ENG) - world triple jump champion
Dani
Samuels (AUS) - world discus champion
David Rudisha (KEN) - 800m
world record holder
Asbel Kiprop (KEN) - Olympic 1500m champion
Linet
Masai (KEN) - world 10 000m champion
Shelly-Ann Fraser (JAM) -
Olympic 100m champion
Chris Hoy (SCO) - multiple world and Olympic
cycling champion
Victoria Pendleton (ENG) - world and Olympic cycling
champion
Stephanie Rice (AUS) - triple Olympic gold medal swimmer
Andy
Murray (SCO) - tennis player
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) - tennis player
Samantha
Stosur (AUS) - tennis player
Beth Tweddle (ENG) - world champion
gymnast
Caster Semenya (RSA) - world 800m champion
Elena
Baltacha (SCO) - tennis player
Greg Henderson (NZL) - 2002 Games
cycling gold medallist
Kobie McGurk (AUS) - field hockey player
Geraint
Thomas (WAL) - Olympic team pursuit gold medallist
