G

ames debutant Aprilia Santini Manganang has suddenly stolen the attention of the ongoing Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, not for a good reason, but because of suspicions about her gender identity.

The Philippine team reportedly appealed on Tuesday for the 23-year-old spiker to undergo a gender test. '€œShe'€™s very powerful, it'€™s like putting a male in the female division,'€ Philippines coach Rogelio Gorayeb was quoted by AFP as saying.

Aprilia did not appear to be distracted by the suspicions as she pounded a string of smashes to help Indonesia beat the Philippines 25-22, 25-20, 25-14 in a Pool B indoor volleyball match.

The softly spoken Aprilia took the accusations lightly, saying she had always faced such prejudice from people who often judged her based on her physical appearance.

'€œPeople have always questioned me and have told me to undergo gender tests several times, ever since I tried to become a sprinter back in 2005. Even when I decided to turn to volleyball in Bandung, West Java,'€ Aprilia told reporters after the match at OCBC Arena Hall 2.

She scored the most points with 13 '€” of which 12 came from her spikes '€” in the tournament, where some Philippines supporters booed her.

Indonesia will play against Vietnam in the second preliminary match on Thursday, before taking on Malaysia the following day.

'€œIt hurts my sense of pride, but what can I do? People have always judged others from their look and style. If they want to test me, go ahead,'€ she said calmly.

Gender testing is highly controversial, because of the psychological effects on the tested person and the science of the murky and complex process. '€œAsk the NOC [National Olympic Committee] people. Not me,'€ said Gorayeb when asked by Indonesian media about the request on Wednesday.

SEA Games organizers, in an open letter sent by the public relations team, confirmed the Philippines'€™ appeal and expressed their rejection.

'€œSINGSOC [the Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee] has been informed by the Southeast Asian Games Federation [SEAF] medical committee that they have reviewed the documents submitted by the Indonesian volleyball team and that the appeal has since been rejected,'€ the letter said.

Indonesian team official Hanny Surkatty reacted strongly against the appeal.

'€œIt is a human rights violation. How can they harass people like that?'€ he said, adding that they should have lodged a protest during a technical meeting or preliminary inquiry prior to the multisport event.

'€œI think they have intentionally raised the issue because this match is really important for both sides,'€ he said.

The Indonesian women'€™s team is expected to go through to the final while the Philippines is looking to emulate its bronze performance in Manila in 2005.

Aprilia said that as long as her family and close relatives supported her, she had the strength to defy the fuss.

She wanted people to stop questioning her sex to allow her to focus on her game.

'€œIt once went through my mind, what if they did not allow me to play, while I make a living through volleyball? I'€™m the backbone of my family,'€ she said.

'€œSometimes I feel sad thinking it is not easy being me. People don'€™t know what I have gone through, but thank God I have support from many people,'€ said the athlete, who idolizes Lionel Messi of Barcelona.

She said she never told her parents about her personal problems for fear they might be upset.

'€œMy parents don'€™t want me to face a harsh life; let that be my own. Let me be the one who suffers. I just want them to be happy,'€ said the Electric PLN player.

Aprilia tried to look past the negativity surrounding her and on Wednesday she let her smashes do the talking.

'€œThanks to them, I have motivation to be a better person,'€ she said.