Indian athlete who failed rare gender test may need surgery: doctors
Submitted by woman network on Tue, 11/09/2007 - 16:09.
PUBLIC
Indian athlete who failed rare gender test may need surgery: doctors
NEW DELHI: The Indian athlete who was stripped of her Asian Games silver medal after failing to clear a gender test is likely to need surgical treatment, say doctors.
Officials and the medical fraternity have, however, absolved Santhi Soundarajan of any deliberate wrongdoing.
Asian Games 800-metre silver medallist Santhi Soundarajan has been charged with failing a gender test - a rare test alleging she was not entirely female.
Back home in India, independent inquiries have been set in motion.
Sports Authorities in India are hesitant to speak up about the Santhi episode until inquiry results are released.
There is a feeling, however, that no one can be held at fault yet - the officials or the athlete herself.
One question raised is whether such a test should be made mandatory in the future.
Officials say there is no reason for Santhi to return the US$33,000 cash award given to her by the Indian government after her return from Doha.
They insist Santhi is not consciously at fault as she had participated in other international events before.
Walson, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu Athletic Association, says: "The Sports Development Authority as well as the government has to look into this and defend her. If it is found that the gender test has really failed, then she has to go for a surgery and the government has to come to her rescue for all these things because she's definitely a good potential for the country."
The nature of the medical problem remains largely a subject of debate for now.
Doctors at the Sports Authority of India say Santhi could be a victim of congenital hermaphroditic symptoms which she has been diagnosed with before.
Dr. P S M Chandran, Director (Sports Medicine), Sports Authority of India, says: "There are hermaphrodite, pseudo-hermaphrodite and all these groups are there. There are certain syndrome diseases - Turner Syndrome, Klenfelter Syndrome all these. When you examine the chromosome you will find that it doesn't fit into a 'pukka' female or male group. So it is an aberration to the normal picture. So that's why they call it a syndrome, some type of a medical problem."
This incident is a tightrope for India which is eager to display keen adherence to rules and checks in the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games that it is hosting.
At the same time, Santhi is a seen as a strong athlete with much potential. - CNA/so
Officials and the medical fraternity have, however, absolved Santhi Soundarajan of any deliberate wrongdoing.
Asian Games 800-metre silver medallist Santhi Soundarajan has been charged with failing a gender test - a rare test alleging she was not entirely female.
Back home in India, independent inquiries have been set in motion.
Sports Authorities in India are hesitant to speak up about the Santhi episode until inquiry results are released.
There is a feeling, however, that no one can be held at fault yet - the officials or the athlete herself.
One question raised is whether such a test should be made mandatory in the future.
Officials say there is no reason for Santhi to return the US$33,000 cash award given to her by the Indian government after her return from Doha.
They insist Santhi is not consciously at fault as she had participated in other international events before.
Walson, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu Athletic Association, says: "The Sports Development Authority as well as the government has to look into this and defend her. If it is found that the gender test has really failed, then she has to go for a surgery and the government has to come to her rescue for all these things because she's definitely a good potential for the country."
The nature of the medical problem remains largely a subject of debate for now.
Doctors at the Sports Authority of India say Santhi could be a victim of congenital hermaphroditic symptoms which she has been diagnosed with before.
Dr. P S M Chandran, Director (Sports Medicine), Sports Authority of India, says: "There are hermaphrodite, pseudo-hermaphrodite and all these groups are there. There are certain syndrome diseases - Turner Syndrome, Klenfelter Syndrome all these. When you examine the chromosome you will find that it doesn't fit into a 'pukka' female or male group. So it is an aberration to the normal picture. So that's why they call it a syndrome, some type of a medical problem."
This incident is a tightrope for India which is eager to display keen adherence to rules and checks in the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games that it is hosting.
At the same time, Santhi is a seen as a strong athlete with much potential. - CNA/so
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