Opinion Beyond binaries

In 2006, Santhi Soundarajan was stripped of her medal for failing a now-defunct gender verification test. But the real shame was that the Indian mid-distance runner, a gold medallist at the Asiad, was deserted by everyone, winding up as a brick-kiln worker. Eight years on, Dutee Chand, India’s most promising sprinter, has been tested for hyperandrogenism even before her international career takes off. However, there is a perceptible change in how the case is being viewed. India is showing small yet positive signs of supporting female athletes who display gender ambiguity.

For a start, and despite pervasive ignorance on the matter, there is a consensus that hyperandrogenism is not the same as dope cheating — though both can display high levels of testosterone. Athletes caught in the former controversy require that officials and society evolve their own comprehension of a complex issue. These athletes need sensitivity, not sniggers. When such cases are detected, it is the duty of the highest officials in athletics to protect the young sportswomen — who themselves might not understand complex testing — rather than leave them to fend for themselves. Counselling would be a good point to begin at. Early hormonal therapy and remedial procedures are available as corrective measures, and this can also help maintain the dignity of the athlete.

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A few cases in the past, including Santhi’s, have been allowed to reach a point where coaches permit athletes to compete, win medals, bring home the cash-reward spoils, and eventually wash their hands of their wards in case of a failed test. On the other hand, South Africa rallied around Caster Semenya, who went on to win a silver at the London Olympics after undergoing therapy, with cabinet ministers from the African nation stepping in to extend legal and moral support to her. Indians owe it to Dutee, who is determined to overcome this setback, as much as they owed it to Santhi, who had fewer supporters back then, or none.