AFI to wait for Pramanik's medical report

Athletics Federation of India has said that it won't do anything now and wait for the medical report and police investigation on the allegation by a Kolkata woman that 2006 Asian Games gold medallist Pinki Pramanik was a "male" before taking any action.

AFI Secretary C K Valson said on Thursday that the federation would wait for the result of medical report of Pramanik and would inform the IAAF if she turns out to be a male as alleged in a complaint lodged by a woman in Kolkata.

He, however, added that the IAAF rules were not clear on whether the medals Pramanik had won in national and international events would be stripped of or not.

"It's a very tricky situation. We don't know whether it was a case of being male physically or hormonal change over a period of time which can happen. We have to wait for the medical report and conclusion of case. We will inform the IAAF if it is concluded that she is a male. But now we can't conclude anything," he said.

"But on stripping of medals or not, rules are not very clear and so we have to ask the IAAF and act accordingly. If a female athlete is ruled to be 'male' hormonal or otherwise she is not allowed to take part in future events. But in this case, Pramanik has retired," he said.

Valson, a seasoned international technical official in various IAAF events, said he was not aware of any suspicion on Pramanik's gender during her athletics career.

"In 2006 Doha Asiad we had the case of Santhi Soundarajan but as far as I can recollect there was no such case against Pramanik," he said.

"IAAF used to have femininity test prior to 2000 but it has been stopped. So there was no physical verification prior to a competition now. So we have to wait and take directions from the IAAF on medal issue," he said.

The police arrested Pramanik on Thursday after a woman lodged a complaint of rape with the Baguiati police station in North 24-Parganas district in West Bengal, saying that the former athlete has been cohabiting with her for the past several months with a promise to marry her.