Cape Town - Cricket South Africa (CSA) has thrown its weight behind athlete Caster Semenya and her fight for gender equality ahead of her landmark hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) next week.

The double 800 metres Olympic champion is set to challenge a proposed rule by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) aiming to restrict testosterone levels in female runners. 

"We stand here as the cricket fraternity joining all the voices throughout the world, to denounce the IAAF Gender Regulations as an act of discrimination against women in sport," CSA CEO Thabang Moroe said via a press statement.

"We state categorically and emphatically that women like Caster, who is born with intersex variations, should enjoy the same rights to dignity as all women. 

"We honour, celebrate and recognise the equality of all women in sport. As the national cricket body for cricket in South Africa, we call on all morally astute global citizens to rally behind Caster and vocally join in advocating for her right to continue compete at the highest level.  

"This attempt at systematically ostracizing potential and talent should be condemned in the strongest terms. Together, let's hit gender discrimination for six!” concluded Moroe.

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