The Namibian government has called on World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee to reinstate two of its top athletes in the women's 400m for the Tokyo Olympic Games, reports The Namibian.
Since the news broke last Friday that World Athletics has withdrawn the young Namibian stars,Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, it has reigniting the debate about using high testosterone levels as a barometer for sexual classification in sport.
The Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) Abner Xoagub issued a statement saying the two athletes had been withdrawn from the 400m event after medical assessments indicated that their testosterone levels were too high.
Xoagub said World Athletics has required the two athletes, among other international athletes, to undergo medical assessments, which were done in Italy where the athletes are based at a training camp.
“The results from the testing centre indicated that both athletes have a naturally high testosterone level. According to the rules of World Athletics, this means they are not eligible to participate in events from 400m to 1 600m,” he said.
“It is important to understand that neither of our athletes was aware of this condition, and neither were any family member, their coach or the NNOC aware of it,” he said.
Xoagub said the NNOC and its medical officer, Dr Ben Viljoen, are in close contact with Dr Stephane Bermon, the medical officer of World Athletics, and that they will “analyse all information and apply it in the best interest of those two young girls”.
“We are positive on their future as elite athletes. This should not be viewed negatively, but rather as a new challenge and opportunity,” he said.
“Both Christine and Beatrice will be able to compete in the 100m and 200m events. Henk Botha, their coach, is positive and working with the girls on those events while we are consolidating on the way forward,” Xoagub said.
Later on Saturday, the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service issued a statement supporting the athletes and calling on world sporting bodies to intervene.
“It is regrettable that both Mboma and Masilingi suddenly find themselves unable to compete in the category in which they have always competed. The import of the decision is that the two athletes must undergo medical interventions that are not for their health, but simply to lower their testosterone.
“The ministry calls upon Athletics Namibia and the Namibia National Olympics committee to engage both World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee to seek ways that would not exclude any athlete because of natural conditions that are not of their own making,” the statement read.
“The ministry calls upon governing bodies to level the playing fields, so as not to exclude Africans from competing on the international stage. The ministry is fully behind our athletes – irrespective of the decision to withdraw them,” it said.
The executive director of sport, youth and national service, Audrin Mathe, said they were very disappointed about the news and that the athletes were being punished for a natural condition.
“To hear now that they have been withdrawn because of a high level of testosterone, we think this is nothing of their own making; this is a natural condition the girls possess, and therefore their natural bodies should not be used against them to exclude them from participating at the Olympic Games in the 400m.
“We are fully behind the two ladies and are seeking all recourse available to us to ensure they are reinstated in their various categories,” he said. “We are very confident that our efforts will yield results. We think it's unfair and have asked the Namibia Olympic Committee and Athletics Namibia to engage their international bodies to see how the two girls can be reinstated.”
He said it was not a case of using illegal substances to enhance their performance.
“ . . . these girls were born like that. We do not know how far-reaching these rules will become in future. You will hear one day that athletes have been excluded because they've got long legs, but it should not be that far-reaching if it's a natural-born condition.
“They must be allowed to compete, and there are other athletes outside Namibia who are also affected in African countries, and we think this is perhaps targeting athletes of African extraction.
“You can make your own conclusions on whether you see this as racism, but what we are saying is that rules must not exclude any athlete who is participating in good faith without enhancing their competitive edge by using drugs. Interestingly, these are athletes of African extraction who are challenging these rules.
“So far there are four other African countries we know of, and we know of athletes from the United States facing the same challenges. So the international sport community must level the playing field. They cannot protect their athletes by withdrawing athletes from African countries so as to give a competitive advantage to European athletes,” he added.
Full The Namibian story (Open access)
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