Bank ends sponsorship of Athletics South Africa over handling of Caster Semenya’s gender tests

SAfrica track loses sponsor over Semenya case

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s track governing body lost a major sponsor over its mishandling of world champion runner Caster Semenya’s gender tests.

Nedbank said in a statement Thursday that it feared its reputation could be harmed by “the unfortunate negative situation.” The statement did not refer directly to Semenya.

The bank acted a week after Athletics South Africa gave a vote of confidence to its leader, allowing Leonard Chuene to keep his job after he admitted lying about his role in the testing.

Semenya won the 800 meters at the world championships in August in Berlin.

The International Association of Athletics Federations said before the final that it had ordered gender tests. Such matters are usually kept confidential, and the IAAF has been criticized for going public.

ASA leader Chuene said he had denied tests were done in South Africa to protect Semenya’s privacy.

ASA spokesman Chris Britz said Nedbank was renegotiating a five-year sponsorship deal set to expire next year when the Semenya controversy burst onto the world scene.

“No corporate sponsor would like to have their name linked to controversy,” said Britz, who also is a member of the ASA board.

Britz said ASA’s reputation had suffered, and he hoped an investigation into its handling of the Semenya case by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee would help it recover. The Olympic body’s investigation, which is expected to take several weeks, may yield findings and recommendations that would point the way forward, Britz said.

“We’re still very much in a sort of crisis mode,” Britz said. “Every day there’s something new that’s unfolding.”

ASA’s other sponsors include adidas, which said Thursday it had no comment regarding future ties with the governing body.