ASF lose a major sponsor

South Africa\'s athletics governing body has lost a major sponsor after its mishandling of world champion runner Caster Semenya\'s gender tests.



Nedbank said in a statement today that it feared its reputation could be harmed by \"the unfortunate negative situation.\"



The bank acted a week after Athletics South Africa gave a vote of confidence to its chief, Leonard Chuene, allowing him to keep his job even though he admitted to lying about his role in the testing.



Semenya won the 800 meters at the August world championships in Berlin.



The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said before the final that it had ordered gender tests.



Such matters are usually kept confidential, and the IAAF has been criticized for going public.



Chuene says he had denied tests were done in South Africa to protect Semenya\'s privacy.



Athletics South Africa spokesman Chris Britz says Nedbank was renegotiating a five-year sponsorship deal set to expire next year when the Semenya controversy began.