University Sport South Africa (USSA) notes the judgement issued by the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the matter between Ms. Caster Semenya and the IAAF. We are extremely disappointed by the outcome of the court. We are steadfast in our view that this is an injustice fight against a black African child. An important question that we will continue to ask, is whether the IAAF would have considered to introduce such a regulation, if the matter affected non-African sports women to the extent that Ms. Semenya has received the backlash and controversy throughout her career?

Ms. Semenya remains one of our athletes through her affiliation with our member institution, Tshwane University of Technology. We shall continue to offer her the best possible support when needed. The campaign we started on our social platforms in April 2018 when she competed at our National Track & Field Championships in Sasolburg will be intensified. We shall lobby our brothers and sisters from other countries throughout the world during the upcoming World University Games scheduled for Napoli, Italy from the 03rd – 14th July 2019 to unreservedly support and stand by Caster. We shall equally engage with Confederation of University and College Sports Association (CUCSA Region 5) and the African Federation of University Sport (FASU), that both at the World University Games and at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) General Assembly scheduled for November 2019, requesting that all 174 member countries support us to fight this unjust regulation. We further call upon the World Health Organisation (WHO) to not allow for the application of the IAAF proposed ruling, because we consider this a human rights violation and against the World Anti-Doping (WADA) code.

We aim to mobilise all our student athletes across the South African University networks to rally behind the #HandsoffCasterSemenya campaign in solidarity, support and patriotism. An injustice to one of our own requires that we all unite and support her. We equally call upon Athletics South Africa (ASA) to intensify their support within the continent and the diaspora that the 52nd IAAF Congress scheduled for the 25 and 26 September 2019, be a defining moment for this unjust rule to be reversed.