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Santhi Soundarajan

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Santhi Soundarajan
Santhi Soundarajan, an Indian athlete wearing white, stands between two masculine-presenting people.
Santhi Soundarajan [middle] is an Indian track and field athlete and coach.
Personal information
NationalityIndian
Born (1981-04-17) 17 April 1981 (age 43)
Kathakkurichi, Tamil Nadu, India
Alma materNIS, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bangalore
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight64 kg (141 lb)
Sport
SportRunning
Event(s)800 metres, 1500 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800m: 1:55.45
1500m: 4:11.66
National record 3000m: 10:44.65
World Peace Sports Festival Ambassador −2003, Korea,[1] All India Inter University Record Holder 800m: 2:07.68
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  India
Asian Games
Disqualified 2006 Doha 800 m
South Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2006 Colombo 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2006 Colombo 4×400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2006 Colombo 800 m
Asian Indoor Games
Gold medal – first place 2005 Bangkok 4×400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2005 Bangkok 800 m
Asian Athletics Championships
Silver medal – second place 2005 Incheon 800 m
Asian Grand Prix
Silver medal – second place 2004 Asian Grand Prix, Bangalore 800 m
Silver medal – second place 2004 Asian Grand Prix, Pune 800 m
International Peace Sports Festival
Gold medal – first place International Peace Sports Festival 2003 5000 m
Silver medal – second place International Peace Sports Festival 2003 800 m
Bronze medal – third place International Peace Sports Festival 2003 400 m

Santhi Soundarajan (also spelled Shanthi Soundararajan, born 17 April 1981) is a track and field athlete from Tamil Nadu, India. She is the winner of 12 international medals for India and around 50 medals for her home state of Tamil Nadu. Soundarajan is the first Tamil woman to win a medal at the Asian Games.[2] She competes in middle distance track events. She was stripped of her silver medal won at the 2006 Asian Games after failing a sex verification test which disputed her eligibility to participate in the women's competition.[3]

Early life and career

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Santhi Soundarajan was born 17 April 1981 in the Pudukkottai District of Tamil Nadu, India. Soundarajan grew up in a 20-by-5-foot hut where there was no running water, electricity, or a bathroom or outhouse. She was the eldest of five children born to her parents, who are both brick-kiln labourers; her parents often had to seek work in other brickyards where they earned the equivalent of $4 US dollars a week. While they were away, Soundarajan was in charge of taking care of her four younger siblings, often with the help of Soundarajan's grandfather, who was an accomplished runner himself. When she was 13, Soundajaran's grandfather taught her how to run properly and bought her a pair shoes to help her advance with her running. Soundajaran recalls that her grandfather had always been her "biggest supporter."[4]

Although Soundarajan suffered from malnutrition as a child, she was able to become a middle-distance runner in her early teens, at first to earn money from competitions to help her family. Soundarajan won a tin cup in her eighth-grade competition debut; at interschool competitions over time, she added 13 more cups to her collection. Her dominant performances caught the attention of a nearby high school's sports coach, who recruited her. In addition to paying her tuition, the school provided her a uniform and hot lunches. This was Soundarajan's first experience eating three meals a day, which helped her improve.[4]

After high school, Santhi got a scholarship from an arts college in Pudukkottai, the nearest town. The following year, Santhi transferred to a college in Chennai, Tamil Nadu's capital, which was seven hours away. In 2005, she attended the Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon, South Korea, where she won a silver medal. In 2006, she was chosen to represent India at the Asian Games (run by the Olympic Council of Asia). In the 800 meters, Santhi took the silver in 2 minutes, 3.16 seconds, beating Viktoriya Yalovtseva of Kazakhstan by 0.03 seconds. This win led to Santhi becoming embroiled in an ongoing, unresolved debate over what makes an athlete eligible to compete in the women's division.[4]

In 2004 Santhi was awarded 1 lakh cash from then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.[5][non-primary source needed]

Santhi holds the national record for the women's 3000 metres steeplechase clocking 10:44.65 seconds. At a 2005 national meet in Bangalore, she won the 800m, 1,500m and 3000m. She won the silver medal in 800m at the 2005 Asian Championships in Incheon, South Korea.

Asian Games controversy

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Santhi won a silver medal in the women's 800m race at the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar clocking 2 minutes, 3.16 seconds.[6] However, she underwent a sex test shortly afterwards, and the results indicated that she "does not possess the sexual characteristics of a woman".[7][8] While such sex tests are not compulsory for competitors, the International Association of Athletics Federations can request that contenders take such tests at any time, and include intensive evaluation by a gynecologist, a geneticist, an endocrinologist, a psychologist, and an internal medicine specialist. Reports initially suggested that her upbringing in impoverished rural India, where she reportedly only started eating proper meals in 2004, could be a factor behind the test result.[9] In a 2016 video petition, Santhi Soundarajan disclosed that she has been told she has androgen insensitivity syndrome.[10]

Five days after the news report, Santhi says, she received a call from Lalit Bhanot, a former joint secretary of the Indian Olympic Association. Bhanot spoke to Santhi in English. "He told Santhi she can't do sports anymore,'. When she asked why, she was told: It's been confirmed, Santhi cannot compete in sports."[11][12][13] Soon after the results of the sex test came out, she was stripped of her silver medal.[14]

Santhi returned to her village in humiliation and promptly fell into serious depression. Months later, she tried to kill herself by ingesting a type of poison used by veterinarians. A friend found her vomiting uncontrollably and took her to a hospital.[15][16]

Later life

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In January 2007, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi awarded Santhi a television set and a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 million for her Doha Games effort, despite the fallout of Santhi failing a gender test. Santhi spent her reward money on her students; there are an average of 68 (trainees) and none of them is charged any fee.[17]

Santhi's application to the state-run railways for a job before the games was turned down because the athlete failed a gender test.[8]

In September 2007, Santhi was reported to have attempted suicide, reportedly by consuming a veterinary drug at her residence.[13] The attempt was blamed on gender, economic, and sports pressure in India.

Two months later, Santhi took up coaching, starting a training academy at her home district of Pudukkottai, and became a temporary athletics coach with the regional government. By 2009, her academy had 68 students and her students had won the first and third positions in the Chennai marathon.[18]

Santhi was admitted to the NIS athletic coach diploma course in Bangalore in 2013.[19] Santhi was one of the 24 coaches in athletics, out of the 108 students who attended the course in eight disciplines. on 30 April 2014 she became a qualified athletics coach, being awarded the NIS diploma certificate at the Sports Authority of India graduation ceremony in Bangalore.[20][21] Santhi didn't have a permanent job at that time. Commenting on Santhi's situation at the time, Olympic shooter Anjali Bhagwat said: "It's sad that such thing has happened in our society.[22]

In December 2014, with the help of intersex rights activist Gopi Shankar Madurai,[23] Santhi met Pon. Radhakrishnan, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Information Technology and Broadcasting, and Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi to present a request for assistance securing a permanent job as an athletics coach, and in restoring her 800m silver medal from the 2006 Doha Asian Games.[24]

Radhakrishnan, a political heavyweight from Tamil Nadu, in turn, wrote to Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to release a cash award to Santhi, but the Ministry's response was unfavorable: she was informed through a letter that since the medal has not been restored to her, the Ministry cannot give a Rs 10 lakh cash award for the medal. Also, the Ministry does not provide or recommend jobs in central/state government offices.[25]

"My legacy will remain not with my medals but with the determination and hope to overcome my past torment and my present struggles, I want to live my dream through my students."[2]

— Santhi Soundarajan

Santhi told the BBC Tamil Service that the Indian authorities had not fought her case after she was stripped of her silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.[3][26]

On 29 July 2015, the Madras High Court directed the State government to consider Santhi's plea for relaxation in educational qualifications and help her become a coach at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDATN). As per the notification issued by the Youth Welfare and Sports Development in April 2015, an applicant contesting for the post of the coach should have an education qualification of a bachelor's degree and Santhi did not have one. Justice D. Hariparanthaman directed the Secretary of the Youth Welfare and Sports Development to "consider her claim for the post of coach by granting requisite relaxation as a special case", in the light of the documents produced by her in the sports area and pass appropriate orders within six weeks.[27]

On 27 September 2016 the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) served a notice on the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in response to a petition filed by Santhi. The NCSC investigated allegations of injustice and sought a response in the matter from the secretary of the Department of Sports within 30 days.[28][29]

On 16 October 2016 Santhi was informed that the State government decided to appoint her as a permanent athletic coach under Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Sports Minister K. Pandiarajan said the State will plead her case with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. he also stated that the Tamil Nadu Government will write to SAI, Indian Olympic Association and Athletics Federation of India to take up Santhi's case in that forum.[30]

Santhi received her appointment order for a permanent athletic coach under SDAT on 20 December 2016 from Tamil Nadu Sports Minister K. Pandiarajan at the Fort St. George, India.[31][32]

On 3 January 2017 Gopi Shankar Madurai who is closely working with Santhi[33] said she will file a human rights violation case against Athletic Federation of India and Indian Olympic Association at Madras High Court or the Apex of India.[34][35]

On 16 February 2017 The National Human Rights Commission of India rejected Santhi's complaint and claimed that it was too late to accept it.[36]

Achievements and honours

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Santhi has won 12 international medals and 50 national medals, including:

Year Award Honouring body Notes
2016 Young Inspirational Women Leader Award[37] World Women Leadership Congress (WWLC) Awarded for her contributions towards increasing the participation of young Tamil girls in Athletics.[38]
Year Title Honouring body Notes
2017 Living Phoenix[39][40] Kurukshetra (college festival) by College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University.[40] Conferred on her for Santhi's remarkable contributions in the field of Athletics.[39]

IAAF policy and support for other athletes

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Santhi's case has been contrasted[41] with that of Caster Semenya of South Africa, also a middle-distance runner, who nearly lost the gold she won at the 2009 Berlin World Championship after she failed a similar gender test. Semenya's nation rallied around her to safeguard her dignity, her rights and position in world sports. She was also her country's flag-bearer at the London Olympics 2012. Santhi supported Semenya, fearing that Semenya would face the same humiliation that she did.[42][43][44]

Santhi also extended her support to Dutee Chand and said the youngster should not be victimized. She also expressed her dismay at the lack of sensitivity in the handling of the Dutee Chand issue, fearing that the young athlete's future may have now been jeopardized. Santhi demanded that all steps be taken to ensure the 18-year-old's return to the track.[45]

Welcoming the Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling in favour of Chand on 27 July 2015 for suspending gender test, the landmark ruling has also fuelled Santhi's hopes of regaining the silver medal and the Rs 10-lakh prize money from the central government which was withheld after the gender test row.[46][47]

In this regard, it is notable that the IAAF policy, suspended as a result of Chand's case, did not prevent Santhi from competing. Kalra, Kulshreshtha and Unnikrishnan, writing in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2012, stated that "Chromosomal sex, used to disqualify Santhi in 2010, is not mentioned at all in the current guidelines."[41] Immediately prior to the 2016 Olympic Games and in response to sex verification controversies, Genel, Simpson and de la Chapelle in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated "One of the fundamental recommendations published almost 25 years ago ... that athletes born with a disorder of sex development and raised as females be allowed to compete as women remains appropriate".[48]

[edit]

In 2006, Amitabh Bachchan raised a question on Santhi in the show Kaun Banega Crorepati 2 he hosted.[citation needed]

The character of Valli in the Tamil film Ethir Neechal is a tribute to Santhi.[49][50]

In August 2016 Thappad, an online platform and mobile application, made a video as part of an online campaign that is asking for Santhi's name to be included in the official records again and that the government should give her a permanent job to rebuild her life.[10][51][52]

Put Chutney, an online comedy group under Culture Machine Media Pvt Ltd, made a video in Tamil to explain the significance of her struggle to residents of Tamil Nadu.[53]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Soundarajan Shanti | Profile". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b Ninan, Susan (7 March 2016). "Poll ticket, crowd-funded academy on Santhi's agenda – The Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Cite error: The named reference "The Times of India" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Santhi 'medal should be returned'". BBC News | South Asia. 14 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Shapiro, Samantha (23 July 2012). "Failed gender test forces Olympian to redefine athletic career". ESPN. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Gopi Shankar Madurai on Twitter: "Cannot believe she is no more #RipAmma #Jayalalitha is a legacy "". 5 December 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2017 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ India strike it rich in track and field events, The Hindu, 9 December 2006
  7. ^ "Indian athlete fails gender test". BBC News. 18 December 2006. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  8. ^ a b "Santhi scandal an insult to all Tamils | Zee News". Zee News. 20 December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  9. ^ S. Sen (20 December 2006) "AFI to investigate Santhi case, uneven diet cited as possible reason" The Raw Story
  10. ^ a b "#FairTreatment for Shanthi Soundarajan". Thappad. 2016.
  11. ^ Saner, Emine (30 July 2008). "The gender trap". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  12. ^ "The sad story of Santhi Soundarajan". The Times of India. 9 January 2007. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Sex-test failure attempts suicide". Fox Sports. 6 September 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  14. ^ "Indian silver medalist female runner at Asian Games fails gender test". International Herald Tribune. 18 December 2006.
  15. ^ "Indian runner fails gender test, loses medal". ESPN. 18 December 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  16. ^ "Shanti fails Doha gender test". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 18 December 2006. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014.
  17. ^ "India athlete makes plea for Semenya". CNN. 14 September 2009.
  18. ^ "Santhi turns to coaching after suicide attempt". Taipei Times. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  19. ^ "Financial aid for Santhi". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 11 July 2013.
  20. ^ "Graduation day at SAI South Centre". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 1 May 2014.
  21. ^ "Santhi leaves tainted past, is all set to coach athletes – The Times of India". The Times of India.
  22. ^ "Santhi Soundarajan incident shameful: Anjali Bhagwat". The Times of India. 25 July 2012.
  23. ^ Kappur, Shilpa. "One Who Fights For an Other". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  24. ^ "Santhi's plea". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 21 December 2014.
  25. ^ "Santhi finds herself at crossroads again". The Tribune. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  26. ^ "AFI to monitor Semenya's test to make Santhi's case". The Hindu. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  27. ^ Jesudasan, Dennis S. (1 August 2015). "HC comes to the aid of Santhi". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  28. ^ "Ministry of sports served notice on Santhi Soundarajan's complaint". ESPN. 11 October 2016.
  29. ^ "SC panel intervenes in Santhi case". The Hindu. 1 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Santhi set to rebuild life as official athletic coach". The Hindu. 1 December 2016.
  31. ^ "Santhi gets a state job, to fight for return of medal". The Times of India. 21 December 2016.
  32. ^ "Ten years after 'failing' gender test, TN athlete Santhi Soundarajan gets government job offer". The News Minute. 21 December 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  33. ^ "Athlete Santhi Soundarajan may file human rights case, as AFI, IOA wash hands of medal issue". The News Minute. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  34. ^ "Santhi Soundarajan to file human rights violation case against AFI, IOA ten years after being stripped off medal". Firstpost.com. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  35. ^ "Santhi Set To Fight For Justice Jan 03, 2017, 19:43 IST, Times Now". Timesnow.tv. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  36. ^ "Human rights body rejects Santhi Soundarajan's complaint, claims it's too late to accept it". The News Minute. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  37. ^ "World Women Leadership Congress & Awards". Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  38. ^ "Dental health awareness camp held". The Times of India. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  39. ^ a b "Kurukshetra". www.kurukshetra.org.in. Archived from the original on 24 October 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  40. ^ a b "The Living Phoenix Speaks! – An Exclusive Interview With Santhi Soundararajan". The Guindy Times. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  41. ^ a b Kalra, Sanjay; Kulshreshtha, Bindu; Unnikrishnan, AmbikaGopalakrishnan (2012). "We care for intersex: For Pinky, for Santhi, and for Anamika". Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 16 (6): 873–5. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.102980. ISSN 2230-8210. PMC 3510954. PMID 23226629.
  42. ^ "India athlete makes plea for Semenya". CNN. 14 September 2009.
  43. ^ "Gender and Athletics: India's Own Caster Semenya". Time. 1 September 2009.
  44. ^ "al jazeera". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  45. ^ Gopalkrishnan, Krithika (19 July 2014). "Santhi Urges Establishment to Help Sidelined Dutee". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  46. ^ "Santhi keen on getting her Asiad medal back – The Times of India". The Times of India.
  47. ^ "Ruling on Dutee gives Santhi a Ray of hope". The New Indian Express. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015.
  48. ^ Genel M; Simpson J; de la Chapelle A (4 August 2016). "The olympic games and athletic sex assignment". JAMA. 316 (13): 1359–1360. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.11850. ISSN 0098-7484. PMID 27490137.
  49. ^ "Top Latest News, Breaking News Headlines India, Live World News, Indian News Stories". In.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  50. ^ "Critique de "Ethir Neechal" » Kolly360". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  51. ^ Sonam Joshi Lifestyle Editor. "Why We Should Join The Campaign Seeking Justice For Runner Shanthi Soundarajan". Huffingtonpost.in. Retrieved 2 March 2017. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  52. ^ "Justice for Shanthi: Petition supporting TN athlete who failed the gender test". The News Minute. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  53. ^ Sonam Joshi. "A Decade After Being Banned For Failing A Controversial Gender Test, Athlete Shanthi Soundarajan Gets A Government Job". Huffingtonpost.in. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
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