New Delhi: Odia sprinter Dutee Chand will be a relieved person after four years of ordeal as she no longer falls in the purview of the new rules announced Thursday by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) pertaining to female athletes who have high testosterone levels.
The new rules, which the IAAF put under the heading ‘Difference of Sexual Development’ (DSD), will require athletes such as South Africa’s Olympic and World Champion 800m runner Caster Semenya to reduce their blood testosterone levels if they want to compete internationally.
Dutee competes in 100m and 200m while the new rules cover races from 400m to the mile, including 400m, hurdles races, 800m, 1500m, one-mile races and combined events over the same distances. Hence Dutee will not come under the regulation category.
These new regulations, approved by the IAAF Council in March, will come into effect from November 1 and replace the previous ‘Regulations Governing Eligibility of Females with Hyperandrogenism’ to compete in women’s competition, which no longer apply anywhere in the sport, the IAAF said in a statement.
Testosterones are male sex hormone but they are also in a woman’s ovaries in small amounts. Those women athletes who naturally produce these testosterones above a permissible limit are not allowed to compete in competitions meant for females.
Dutee had fought a lone battle when she challenged the ‘Hyperandrogenism Regulations’ of the IAAF at the Court of Arbitration for Sports in 2015 and won it. The CAS suspended the ‘Hyperandrogenism Regulations’ for two years and asked the IAAF to furnish evidence in support of its policy.
IAAF Council member and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla expressed happiness at the development.
“I am very happy for Dutee. These new regulations will not affect her now unless she runs the 400m. She runs in 100m and 200m and we don’t want her to run in 400m. These new regulations will replace the earlier Hyperandrogenism Regulations,” Sumirawalla told this agency.
Asked if the case of Dutee at CAS will be disposed off after these new rules, Sumariwalla said, “I have no idea but these new rules will now be prevalent not only for Dutee, but other Indian athletes may benefit. Say for example, Tintu Luka is our top 800m runner and she may benefit,” Sumariwalla said, indirectly referring to South Africa’s Caster Semenya.
press trust of india