Speak out India: Sports federations abandon Asiad silver medalist Santhi – NewsX

Speak out India is a NewsX special show which focuses on the main news event of the day. Irony doesn’t get any crueler than this. Santhi Soundarajan won a silver medal in the 800m at the Doha Asian Games in 2006, and then lost it after she failed a gender test. Today, she works as a daily-wager in a brick kiln, slogging eight hours under a scorching sun to earn Rs 200 every day — the wage paid to women laborers. Banned by the Athletics Federation of India from participating at any level, the then 25-year-old’s name and feats were struck off the records. She was simply abandoned as she reeled under fate’s bitter blow. Despite everything, Santhi still nurtures the ambition of representing her country in athletics again. With the International Olympic Committee mandating that a more civil method of testing a female athlete’s hyper-androgenism (excessive production of testosterone), she feels she stands a good chance to make a comeback. But before all that, Santhi wants a job. So we ask you today- Is India insensitive towards its athletes? India comments and shares views at this NewsX special show ‘Speak out India’. For more log onto- www.newsx.com