Santhi Soundarajan is keeping a close eye on South African athlete Caster Semenyas gender test result,hoping to get back the silver medal she won in 2006 Doha Asian Games. Santhi was stripped of her 800m silver in Doha for failing a gender test and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has said it could ask for return of her medal if Semenyas 800m gold in Berlin World Championships is not taken back if she fails a similar test. I will only be too happy to accept the medal if it is returned. I feel it will bring about change in my life. But I am not sure about competing in events in future, she said from her home at Pudukottai. Santhi,who now coaches poor children,said she has not been training. It will take some time to get into competitive rhythm and the workload required is too high, she said. Santhi,who attempted suicide in 2007,is on contract as a part-time coach with Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT). I train my wards in both track and field events. Two of them,Rani and Muthukumar,have won medals. Rani won gold in 1500m and 3000m in the Tamil Nadu junior state championship and silver at the National School Games championship in Bhopal this year, she said. Muthukumar,a B.Com first year student,won the inter-state gold in Kochi in 2000m steeplechase and 5000m. The two have also won the 2008 Chennai Marathon in the 5km category. On Semenyas return to competition,Santhi said she sympathised with her. As someone who went through a harrowing time and even attempted suicide,I am aware how it hurts. Semenya must have been hurt by the incident. No one cares for us when the chips are down. There has to be a sympathetic view on such issues. Santhi said hormonal changes are bound to happen because of heavy workload during competitions. These factors should be addressed and a permanent solution found to avoid recurrence of such incidents,which are humiliating to women, she said. Urging Semenya to fight,Santhi said that Africa was a huge continent and she would surely enjoy the support of the people and federations. She should remain competitive and not lose heart, Santhi said.
