Sprinting victory for Dutee Chand: cleared to compete
The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) cleared Indian sprinter Dutee Chand to compete in national and international athletics events in a landmark judgement, which may have far reaching consequences. In this judgement, the panel suspended International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) hyperandrogenism regulations. The judgement supports the stand taken by the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India in this testing controversy.
18 year old sprinter Dutee Chand was dropped from the Indian athletics team for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. This last minute suspension led to the conjecture over the result of the gender test she had reportedly undergone in Bangalore. Sports Authority of India had affirmed that a woman athlete had gone ahead with a gender test but had refused to name her.
According to IAAF regulations, athletes suffering from hyperandrogenism i.e. with enhanced testosterone levels, such as Chand, were barred from competing in the women's category.
Sprinter Dutee Chand, who had tested for excessive androgen declined to go through surgery or hormone therapy. She said she was born this way and did not want to change that. The Sports Authority of India planned to file a motion in the Court of Arbitration in Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The motion would try to overturn the 2011 AIIF regulation.
In a temporary respite, the Court of Arbitration allowed Chand to participate in national and state level events till her appeal against IAAF policy on hyperandrogenism did not arrive at final verdict. The SAI said "Sport celebrates human diversity, regardless of inherent natural characteristics" It also said that a ban like the one on Dutee promoted "discrimination against women" and needed to be stopped.
Dutee Chand appeared before the CAS panel in March 2015. In the hearing, it was concluded that the athlete would be allowed to compete in the 21st Asian Athletics Championships to be held on 3-7 June 2015 The final result of the ban was still pending and the CAS panel did not decide on a date to furbish the final verdict on the ban.
Santhi Soundarajan (silver medal winner at Doha Asian Games 2006), and Caster Semenya of South Africa (gold winner at Berlin World Championship 2009) were stripped of their medals and had to face similar ostracism over 'gender' bans.
Dutee Chand said, "Over the past year I was facing an uncertain future...Till the verdict was pronounced I did not know what the future held in store. This is the happiest day of my life."
