Athletics
SOUTH AFRICA TO APPEAL SEMENYA CAS RULING
Athletics South Africa (ASA) will lodge an appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) decision to rule in favour of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in its landmark legal case against Caster Semenya, it has been claimed.
The CAS decision means Semenya and other affected athletes will have to take medication to reduce their testosterone if they want to continue running on the world stage at events between 400 metres and a mile.
Semenya,
a two-time Olympic and triple world champion over 800m, had been hoping to
overcome the regulations.
The legal team of the 28-year-old had argued the testosterone in her body was naturally occurring and so to ban her would be unfair.
A spokesman for Sport and Recreation South Africa, Vuyo Mhaga, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) an appeal would be filed by the ASA at the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
It would need to be done before the end of the month, 30 days after the judgment was issued on May 1.
Mhaga said the appeal would be based on complaints over the judges’ past record on similar cases, lack of clarity over how the ruling could be implemented and how the evidence was handled.
“It is not explained how the IAAF is going to administer those regulations,” he told AFP.
“We feel that the scientific information that has been brought has been completely ignored and we’ve got a belief that a different court will arrive at a different determination.
“Everything is being done through Athletics SA.”
TimesLIVE reported that South Africa’s Sport Minister Tokozile Xasa had instructed the ASA to appeal the CAS decision.
In a statement issued today, the Ministry said the move had followed advice by a high-level panel that had met to discuss the way forward.
Among the three elements on which the appeal is based is that the ASA believes two of the three arbitrators should recuse themselves because they had been involved in the case of Indian sprinter Dutee Chand in 2015.
Early last year, the IAAF cancelled its “hyperandrogenism regulations”, which had been primarily challenged by Chand, and replaced them with differences of sex development (DSD) regulations.
It is also believed the CAS judgment did not match the strength of ASA’s scientific‚ medical and legal case, and that CAS did not address the relevant legal questions it should have.
“The court simply gave the unfettered latitude to the IAAF to do as it pleases,” the Ministry’s statement reads.
“For instance‚ it has not been answered as to how the IAAF will implement the regulations and how ethical issues will be addressed.
“The Minister has also directed that the department of Sport and Recreation SA should work with other organs of state to intensify the international lobby and to approach the United Nations General Assembly to sanction the IAAF for violating International Human Rights Instruments.”
Last week, insidethegames exclusively revealed that Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive David Grevemberg had written to the IAAF with the view to holding discussions with the governing body over their differences in DSD regulations.
Grevemberg stated the decision to write to the IAAF came after the CGF had received questions from its members.
Semenya is a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, having triumphed in both the women’s 800m and 1,500m when Australian city Gold Coast hosted the event last year.
She set a Games record time of 4min 0.71sec in the 1,500m before setting a mark of 1:56.68 to win the 800m three days later.
Semenya had made her international breakthrough at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Indian city Pune, where she won the 800m.
The IAAF’s rules rules mean female athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone who wish to participate in events from 400m to a mile must medically limit that level to under 5 nmol/L, double the normal female range of below 2 nmol/L.
Athletes who want to compete at the 2019 IAAF World Championships, due to take place in Qatar’s capital Doha from September 27 to October 6, will have to start taking medication immediately.
Those affected by the rules must undergo a blood sampling by that date to measure their serum testosterone level and test their eligibility.
In its verdict, which followed months of deliberation in a highly contentious case, the CAS admitted the rules were “discriminatory” but also said the policy was “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to protect the fairness of women’s sport.
Semenya has remained defiant in spite of the verdict, insisting she would “once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world”.
In a question-and-answer document posted on its website, the IAAF dismissed claims the rules had been targeted at the South African.
The IAAF has hit back at the World Medical Association after the organisation called on its members not to administer drugs which lower the level of testosterone in female athletes with DSD.
The Future Olympian Athletics Classic has been rescheduled from the first quarter of 2026 to the last quarter of the year, as organisers move to transform the meet into a truly national developmental programme spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
In a statement signed by Bruce Ijirigho, a former quarter-miler and Team Nigeria captain to the 1976 Summer Olympics, the postponement was described as a strategic decision aimed at broadening participation and ensuring that young talents across the country are discovered and nurtured systematically.
The competition is being organised by the Youth Sports Renaissance Foundation (YSRF), a non-profit organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission by Ijirigho, Godwin Obasogie and Charlton Ehizuelen. The foundation’s primary objective is to revive athletics, particularly at the secondary school level, and rebuild Nigeria’s once-thriving grassroots sports culture.
Ijirigho, who serves as Project Lead, explained that the initiative is not about creating something entirely new but about restoring a proven system that once produced champions.
“This competition is not about reinventing the wheel,” he said. “It is about bringing back the culture that ensured that my contemporaries and I were discovered early in secondary school, received the right coaching and academic support, and went on to earn scholarships while combining sports with education. Many of us later became national, continental and global champions.”
He identified early exposure and modern, age-appropriate coaching as the missing links in youth development across Nigeria and much of Africa.
“The bane of sports in Nigeria and many African countries is that our youth don’t get opportunities early enough and lack modern coaching techniques that accelerate their development,” Ijirigho stated.
According to him, the Future Olympian Athletics Classic will go beyond competition by incorporating international coaching clinics designed to transfer contemporary skills and knowledge to Games masters and grassroots coaches nationwide.
“The Classic will not only discover talents in their early teens but also upgrade the capacity of our coaches. That way, we will nurture them properly to become Olympians and world beaters in their late teens and early twenties. This programme is strictly for high school students because it is developmental.”
The decision to expand the event to all six geopolitical zones, he noted, reflects a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.
“Talents abound in every nook and cranny of the country. There are middle- and long-distance runners, sprinters, quarter-milers, jumpers and hurdlers who were either not discovered at all or discovered too late. With this postponement, we can widen the tent and give every Nigerian child a fair chance.”
Ijirigho expressed confidence that with proper planning and sustained grassroots investment, Nigeria can reclaim its place at the summit of global athletics.
“We have what it takes to dominate athletics worldwide. All we need is to get our development programme right. The Future Olympian Athletics Classic will lay that foundation for our youth and for the country when it begins in the last quarter of 2026.”
With its expanded national scope and emphasis on structured youth development, the initiative signals a renewed push to reposition Nigerian athletics for long-term global success.
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Kenya’s Ezra Kipchumba Kering delivered a commanding Valentine’s Day performance to win the 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon on Saturday.
Kipchumba surged to the finish line at Eko Atlantic City in an impressive time of 2:11:55, clinching the $50,000 winner’s prize in one of Africa’s most prestigious road races. His decisive kick in the closing stages sealed a memorable triumph in a fiercely contested men’s elite race.
Uganda completed a strong showing on the podium, with Lomoi Samuel finishing just four seconds behind the winner in 2:11:59, while compatriot Namutala Kephar Lumbasi secured third place in 2:12:25 to underline East Africa’s dominance in the men’s event.
The Gold Label marathon, organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited under the leadership of Managing Director Mrs Yetunde Olopade, once again lived up to its billing as a premier long-distance spectacle, attracting top-tier athletes from across the continent and beyond.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Dinke Meseret Meleka claimed top honours, crossing the line in 2:37:36 after a determined run. Kenya’s Daniel Flomena Cheyech followed closely in 2:37:43, while Ethiopia’s Getaw Wgagen Zewdalem finished third in 2:38:59 to complete a tightly fought podium finish.
With another thrilling chapter added to its history, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon reaffirmed its growing stature as a leading destination for elite runners and a major highlight on Africa’s athletics calendar.
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By Kunle Solaja.
The organisers of the gold-labelled Access Bank Lagos City Marathon have described Saturday’s 11th edition as an iconic milestone that ushers in a new decade for one of Africa’s most prestigious road races.
Speaking at a press conference held at the headquarters of Access Bank in Lagos, the Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, said the 2026 edition represents growth, resilience and renewed ambition for the marathon.
“This 11th edition is symbolic for us. It is not just another race; it signals the beginning of another decade of excellence, impact and global recognition for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon,” Olopade said.
She expressed appreciation to Access Bank, corporate sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their unwavering support and commitment to the annual event.
“We are deeply grateful to Access Bank, our valued sponsors and the Lagos State Government for their consistency and belief in this vision. Together, we have built one of the most revered road races in Africa, and this year’s event will be nothing short of world-class,” she added.
Olopade assured runners, partners and spectators of a top-quality race that would further consolidate the marathon’s international standing and enhance its global profile.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, commended the organisers for their professionalism and dedication, noting that the marathon has continued to elevate Lagos’ image globally.
“The Lagos State Government remains fully committed to supporting the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon because it continues to put Lagos on the global map in a positive light,” Fatodu said.
“This race is more than a sporting event; it is a celebration of our culture, resilience and capacity to host world-class events. We will continue to provide the enabling environment for it to thrive.”
Adding his voice, Dr Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultra Runners, described the marathon’s evolution over the years as remarkable.
“The progression I have seen at the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is truly phenomenal. Year after year, the race keeps improving in standards, organisation and global appeal,” Khan said.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract elite athletes from across the world, further reinforcing the marathon’s reputation as one of Africa’s leading road races and a flagship sporting event for Nigeria.
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