SINGAPORE – The Philippine protest seeking a gender test for Indonesian volleyball player Aprilia Santini has been denied by Singaporean Southeast Asian Games organizers, according to Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas, Inc. president Joey Romasanta.
“They (the organizers) told us there was not enough material time to conduct the gender test on the Indonesian,” said Romasanta on the sidelines of the PH-Indonesia women’s volleyball match at the OCBC Arena here on Wednesday.
Romasanta added that he was informed by the SEAG Organizing Committee that it was only following the certification given by the International Volleyball Federation, known by its French acronym FIVB, clearing Santini to compete in an earlier FIVB-sanctioned competition.
[See Philippines files protest, seeks gender test for Indonesia star player]
The volleyball head, who is also the Philippine Olympic Committee first vice president, said that he did know the competition where the Indon had been clearance by the FIVB.
Romasanta said the alternative was to place the game against Indonesia under protest, but he was talked out of the plan by a Filipino FIVB official, who pointed out that “the FIVB has already spoken on the matter.”
National women’s coach Roger Gorayeb had earlier requested the Philippine contingent file a protest against Santini because of her masculine appearance and physique.
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