WeeklySA_AdminCASTER SEMENYA’S NEAR HEART-ATTACK
South African two-time Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya has opened up in an interview with HBO Real Sports about the trauma after her world title win in Berlin 2009 when World Athletics forced her to take medication to artificially lowered her naturally high testosterone, and her ongoing 13-year battle against the track and field authorities to be able to compete against female athletes.
Although World Athletics has never released details of Caster Semenya’s specific medication, it’s believed she took birth control pills or something with similar properties to lower her testosterone.
“It made me sick, made me gain weight, panic attacks. I didn’t know if I was ever going to have a heart attack,” Semenya said of the medication. “It’s like stabbing yourself with a knife every day. But I had no choice.
“I’m 18, I want to run. I want to make it to (the) Olympics, that’s the only option for me. But I had to make it work.”
Semenya, now 31, also said she offered to show her vagina to athletics officials when she was just 18 years old to prove she was a female.
The full interview was aired in the United States on Tuesday.
BAFANA TO FACE MOROCCO Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos showed his hand when he announced the 23-man squad to face Morocco in the opening match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Broos originally selected 37 players to a preliminary squad about 10 days ago and has now reduced it to the 23 players who will do battle against a side he said was the team to beat in Group K after the continental football governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), confirmed the draw for the 2023 Afcon last month.
The Bafana Bafana versus Morocco match will take place at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the North African country’s coastal city of Rabat on Thursday.
South Africa is in Group K, which includes Liberia. The fourth team, Zimbabwe, is suspended from international tournaments and won’t participate in the qualifiers.
SAFA PRAISE GOMES AND SIWELA
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has showered referee Victor Gomes and assistant Zakhele Siwela with praise after the duo officiated in the CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca on Monday night.
Gomes’ performance with the whistle in Casablanca put him in a strong position as one of the best referees on the African continent.
SAFA president Dr Danny Jordaan, who was one of the thousands who made their way past the gates at the Stade Mohamed V to watch the match in Casablanca, led the praise for the two South African officials and said many in the stands were impressed by the way they handled the match.
“I want to congratulate Victor Gomes on a strong performance in the CAF Champions League in Casablanca,” he said from the North African country on Tuesday.
“While speaking to many people here, the consensus was his performance confirmed him as one of the best two referees on the continent. We congratulate him. The same goes for Zakhele Siwela, who also delivered another sterling performance as assistant referee.
ACCOLADES FOR BUCS RISING STAR
Orlando Pirates rising star Boitumelo Radiopane claimed two accolades at the PSL Awards ceremony held on Sunday night.
This year’s event was held virtually, with the 20-year-old striker one of two Buccaneers forwards in line for top prizes on the night, along with Kwame Peprah, who was nominated for the DStv Premiership Young Player of the Year award.
It was Radiopane’s exploits in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), which earned him the top accolades ahead of some of the country’s most promising young talents.
The Bucs Reserves’ star was nominated for the DDC Player of the Season award, where he went head-to-head with Kaizer Chiefs’ Mduduzi Shabalala.
