‘Us against the world’

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa WINDHOEKFormer athletes, sport administrators and political parties have leaped to the defence of Namibian sprinters Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma, whose names were removed from the list of athletes set to compete in the 400-metre event at the Tokyo Olympic Games for alleged high testosterone levels. Mboma and Masilingi’s achievements last week in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and Lucerne, France, have drawn the wrath of World Athletics, with claims that they fall outside the governing body's eligibility regulations for women’s running events from 400m upwards.The incident, which many have described as “unfair and inhuman” has sparked a nationwide reaction, with several prominent members of society calling for African governments to unite in fighting the rules set by World Athletics. Government’s response“It is regrettable that both Mboma and Masilingi suddenly find themselves unable to compete in the category they have always competed in. The import of the decision is that the two athletes must undergo medical interventions that are not for their health, but simply to lower their testosterone.“The ministry calls upon Athletics Namibia and the Namibia National Olympics Committee to engage both World Athletics and the International Olympics Committee to seek ways that would not exclude any athlete because of natural conditions not of their own making,” a statement by the sports ministry read.Mboma last week hit her personal best of 48.54, running a world under-20 record and the fastest time in the world this year.Masilingi whittled her personal best from 50.42 to 49.53, ranking third in the world this year behind Mboma and Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas.Veteran race director Berthold Karumendu has called on Africa to unite against such decisions. “This is totally unfair that people who are born that way with a God-given talent must be removed from participating in something because of the high level in testosterone.“I feel these rules were introduced to deprive African children from making it out there because many of these girls are born that way and it is something which is supposed to be considered as a gift.“I also feel that Africa has failed to fight this because many people were silent when this happened to Caster Semenya,” he said.Karumendu is calling on Namibian and African governments to take the case to the United Nations. Further testingMeanwhile, former Walvis Bay councillor Knowledge Ipinge has questioned the legitimacy of the tests that were done.Ipinge and his team of legal experts collectively feel the easiest way to vindicate Mboma and Masilingi is to do further testing do test in the presence of independent officials. “Assuming that the testing was truly done in compliance with the ‘eligibility regulations for the female classification’, it is our understanding that the samples were saved somewhere and/or B samples could potentially be re-tested by a more independent or a reliable African entity,” he said. The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) also condemned the athletes’ removal from the 400m event.“The PDM views the withdrawal of Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi as part of the continued onslaught by World Athletes and the International Olympic Committee on African athletes in general and female African athletes in particular.“To this effect, the PDM urges the Namibian Sport Commission to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sports in terms of rule 61 the Olympic Charter Rules in order to challenge the withdrawal,” the party said in a statement.Boxing promoter Nestor ‘Sunshine’ Tobias has expressed his dismay over the treatment of the athletes.“These rules are just meant to keep Africans from shining at this event and that is very unfair. “Africa must unite… even to the extent of boycotting the whole Olympics because this is damaging and denying many talented people the right to shine,” he said. New rulesMboma and Masilingi were tested as soon as they arrived in the Czech Republic.Namibian Sun understands that the athletes and their coach were informed about the test and were required to comply, given the regulations.“Upon our arrival in Prague, they came to the hotel and took the test which we waited for until Thursday, just to be told that their testosterone levels were too high,” coach Henck Botha said.The rules were first introduced by World Athletics’ council executive and endorsed by the World Athletics congress in 2019 in Doha.“Many countries were silent in this ruling and South Africa was the only country speaking out and now it is haunting us.“Yesterday it was South Africa, today it is Namibia and the next it will be another country.“The more we remain silent on this issue, the worse it gets because it mostly affects African countries,” Karumendu said. In 2020, South African runner Caster Semenya lost a long battle to get World Athletics’ testosterone regulations overturned.The two-time Olympic champion cannot defend the 800m in Tokyo this year without taking medication or having surgery to lower her naturally high testosterone levels.Bursting onto the international scene in 2009, Semenya had to undergo a controversial sex verification test following her scintillating achievements in the 800m.In 2018, World Athletics introduced testosterone regulations which will deny Semenya and 2016 Olympic medallists Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and Margaret Wambui of Kenya from competing in the 800m discipline.Revelations have surfaced that the rules have World Athletics divided and could be scrapped in three months.

‘Us against the world’

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-04

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‘Us against the world’

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-04

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