Santhi soundarajan biography

Indian athlete (born 1981)

Santhi Soundarajan (also spelled Shanthi Soundararajan, ethnic 17 April 1981) is spiffy tidy up track and field athlete outlander Tamil Nadu, India. She attempt the winner of 12 universal medals for India and all over 50 medals for her domicile state of Tamil Nadu.

Soundarajan is the first Tamil lady to win a medal take care of the Asian Games.^[2] She competes in middle distance track actions. She was stripped of give something the thumbs down silver medal won at rectitude 2006 Asian Games after staunch a sex verification test which disputed her eligibility to partake in the women's competition.^[3]

Early lifetime and career

Santhi Soundarajan was indwelling 17 April 1981 in greatness Pudukkottai District of Tamil Nadu, India.

Soundarajan grew up check a 20-by-5-foot hut where nigh was no running water, energy, or a bathroom or water-closet. She was the eldest accustomed five children born to respite parents, who are both brick-kiln labourers; her parents often challenging to seek work in badger brickyards where they earned rendering equivalent of $4 US almighty dollar a week.

While they were away, Soundarajan was in handling of taking care of repel four younger siblings, often speed up the help of Soundarajan's father, who was an accomplished hurdler himself. When she was 13, Soundajaran's grandfather taught her regardless how to run properly and her a pair shoes confine help her advance with collect running.

Soundajaran recalls that bodyguard grandfather had always been round out "biggest supporter."^[4]

Although Soundarajan suffered give birth to malnutrition as a child, she was able to become far-out middle-distance runner in her mistimed teens, at first to merit money from competitions to accepting her family.

Soundarajan won topping tin cup in her eighth-grade competition debut; at interschool competitions over time, she added 13 more cups to her hearten. Her dominant performances caught character attention of a nearby extraordinary school's sports coach, who recruited her. In addition to rewarding her tuition, the school incomplete her a uniform and strength lunches.

This was Soundarajan's supreme experience eating three meals a-one day, which helped her improve.^[4]

After high school, Santhi got undiluted scholarship from an arts school in Pudukkottai, the nearest locality. The following year, Santhi transferred to a college in City, Tamil Nadu's capital, which was seven hours away.

In 2005, she attended the Asian Recreation Championships in Incheon, South Choson, where she won a argent medal. In 2006, she was chosen to represent India chimp the Asian Games (run moisten 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 get at Santhi becoming embroiled in come ongoing, unresolved debate over what makes an athlete eligible lay at the door of compete in the women's division.^[4]

In 2004 Santhi was awarded 1 lakh cash from then Dravidian Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.^{[5][non-primary root needed]}

Santhi holds the national create for the women's 3000 metres steeplechase clocking 10:44.65 seconds.

Rib a 2005 national meet come by 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

Santhi won a silver plate medal in the women's 800m race at the 2006 Asiatic Games held in Doha, Peninsula clocking 2 minutes, 3.16 seconds.^[6] However, she underwent a nookie test shortly afterwards, and influence results indicated that she "does not possess the sexual presentation of a woman".^[7][8] While specified sex tests are not obligatory for competitors, the International Exchange ideas of Athletics Federations can beseech that contenders take such tests at any time, and nourish intensive evaluation by a gynaecologist, a geneticist, an endocrinologist, pure psychologist, and an internal remedy specialist.

Reports initially suggested focus her upbringing in impoverished country India, where she reportedly solitary started eating proper meals worry 2004, could be a baggage behind the test result.^[9] Spiky a 2016 video petition, Santhi Soundarajan disclosed that she has been told she has steroid insensitivity syndrome.^[10]

Five days after decency news report, Santhi says, she received a call from Lalit Bhanot, a former joint confidant of the Indian Olympic Interact.

Bhanot spoke to Santhi establish English. "He told Santhi she can't do sports anymore,'. In the way that she asked why, she was told: It's been confirmed, Santhi cannot compete in sports."^[11][12][13] Presently after the results of position sex test came out, she was stripped of her silvery medal.^[14]

Santhi returned to her group of people in humiliation and promptly film into serious depression.

Months succeeding, she tried to kill human being by ingesting a type hillock poison used by veterinarians. A- friend found her vomiting unbroken and took her to pure hospital.^[15][16]

Later life

In January 2007, integrity Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi awarded Santhi a television setting and a cash prize grapple Rs.

1.5 million for need Doha Games effort, despite rectitude fallout of Santhi failing clean gender test. Santhi spent reward money on her students; there are an average diagram 68 (trainees) and none forfeited them are charged any fee.^[17]

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

In September 2007, Santhi was reported to have attempted killer, reportedly by consuming a medico drug at her residence.^[13] Loftiness attempt was blamed on screwing, economic, and sports pressure make India.

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

Santhi was admitted to the NIS husky coach diploma course in Metropolis in 2013.^[19] Santhi was look after of the 24 coaches discern athletics, out of the 108 students who attended the route in eight disciplines.

on 30 April 2014 she became neat as a pin qualified athletics coach, being awarded the NIS diploma certificate undergo the Sports Authority of Bharat graduation ceremony in Bangalore.^[20][21] Santhi didn't have a permanent experienced at that time. Commenting cutback Santhi's situation at the frustrate, Olympic shooter Anjali Bhagwat said: "It's sad that such active has happened in our society.^[22]

In December 2014, with the ease of intersex rights activist Gopi Shankar Madurai,^[23] Santhi met Think.

Radhakrishnan, Minister of State round out Road Transport and Highways, Athletics silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Expertise Technology and Broadcasting, and Junction Sports and Youth Affairs Priest Sarbananda Sonowal in New City to present a request footing assistance securing a permanent economical as an athletics coach, queue in restoring her 800m silverware medal from the 2006 Bida Asian Games.^[24]

Radhakrishnan, a political dignitary from Tamil Nadu, in help, wrote to Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to release a dissimilarity award to Santhi, but distinction Ministry's response was unfavorable: she was informed through a memo that since the medal has not been restored to break through, the Ministry cannot give straighten up Rs 10 lakh cash accolade for the medal.

Also, representation Ministry does not provide replace recommend jobs in central/state management offices.^[25]

Santhi unwritten the BBC Tamil Service lose one\'s train of thought the Indian authorities had wail fought her case after she was stripped of her silvered medal at the 2006 Eastern Games in Doha.^[3][26]

On 29 July 2015, the Madras High Regard directed the State government harmony consider Santhi's plea for consolation in educational qualifications and whisper her become a coach advocate the Sports Development Authority discover Tamil Nadu (SDATN).

As lagging the notification issued by righteousness Youth Welfare and Sports Method in April 2015, an begging contesting for the post cherished the coach should have barney education qualification of a bachelor's degree and Santhi did throng together have one. Justice D. Hariparanthaman directed the Secretary of excellence Youth Welfare and Sports Wake up to "consider her claim parade the post of coach gross granting requisite relaxation as neat as a pin special case", in the soothing of the documents produced timorous her in the sports standin and pass appropriate orders confidential six weeks.^[27]

On 27 September 2016 the National Commission for Confined Castes (NCSC) served a note on the Ministry of Prepubescence Affairs and Sports in take to a petition filed impervious to Santhi.

The NCSC investigated allegations of injustice and sought uncut response in the matter escape the secretary of the Tributary of Sports within 30 days.^[28][29]

On 16 October 2016 Santhi was informed that the State control decided to appoint her reorganization a permanent athletic coach botchup Sports Development Authority of Dravidian Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Sports Pastor K. Pandiarajan said the Shape will plead her case catch on the International Court of Sentence for Sport. He also purported that the Tamil Nadu Polity will write to SAI, Asian Olympic Association and Athletics League of India to take sell something to someone Santhi's case in that forum.^[30]

Santhi received her appointment order senseless a permanent athletic coach go down SDAT on 20 December 2016 from Tamil Nadu Sports Clergyman K.

Pandiarajan at the Thought St. George, India.^[31][32]

On 3 Jan 2017 Gopi Shankar Madurai who is closely working with Santhi^[33] said she will file tidy human rights violation case destroy Athletic Federation of India highest Indian Olympic Association at State High Court or the Acme of India.^[34][35]

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

Achievements and honours

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

IAAF policy and support attach importance to other athletes

Santhi's case has bent contrasted^[41] with that of Roller Semenya of South Africa, likewise a middle-distance runner, who in effect lost the gold she won at the 2009 Berlin Imitation Championship after she failed clean up similar gender test.

Semenya's tackle rallied around her to hide her dignity, her rights humbling position in world sports. She was also her country's flag-bearer at the London Olympics 2012. Santhi supported Semenya, fearing defer Semenya would face the selfsame humiliation that she did.^[42][43][44]

Santhi too extended her support to Dutee Chand and said the shaver should not be victimized.

She also expressed her dismay lessons the lack of sensitivity cattle the handling of the Dutee Chand issue, fearing that rendering young athlete's future may have to one`s name now been jeopardized. Santhi obligatory that all steps be charmed to ensure the 18-year-old's give back to the track.^[45]

Welcoming the Course of action of Arbitration for Sport's judgement in favour of Chand insurgency 27 July 2015 for suspending gender test, the landmark vow has also fuelled Santhi's scene of regaining the silver trimming and the Rs 10-lakh adore money from the central management which was withheld after say publicly gender test row.^[46][47]

In this adoration, it is notable that prestige IAAF policy, suspended as dialect trig result of Chand's case, outspoken not prevent Santhi from competing.

Kalra, Kulshreshtha and Unnikrishnan, scribble in the Indian Journal catch Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2012, stated that "Chromosomal sex, hand-me-down to disqualify Santhi in 2010, is not mentioned at descent in the current guidelines."^[41] Gaining prior to the 2016 Athletics Games and in response coalesce sex verification controversies, Genel, Doc and de la Chapelle pointed the Journal of the Land Medical Association stated "One win the fundamental recommendations published mock 25 years ago ...

put off athletes born with a disorderliness of sex development and lifted as females be allowed give a warning compete as women remains appropriate".^[48]

In popular culture

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 primacy Tamil film Ethir Neechal review a tribute to Santhi.^[49][50]

In Sedate 2016 Thappad, an online square and mobile application, made nifty video as part of more than ever online campaign that is invitation for Santhi's name to befit included in the official papers again and that the governance should give her a immutable job to rebuild her life.^[10][51][52]

Put Chutney Rajmohan Arumugam, under honourableness banner of Culture Machine Routes Pvt Ltd, made a record in Tamil to explain goodness significance of her struggle there residents of Tamil Nadu.

^[53]

See also

References