Double Olympic Champion, Caster Semenya, revealed on Friday she had signed to football team JVW FC based in her home country, South Africa.

The news could signal her intention to move out of the world of track and field and transition into football more permanently. 

The 28-year-old has been fighting an ongoing battle with athletics governing body, the IAAF, against their ruling that limits the levels of testosterone female athletes are permitted. They introduced new regulations earlier this year to prevent female athletes, like Semenya, with differences of sexual development from gaining a competitive advantage.

Under the new regulations, Semenya must take hormone suppressant medication in order to be able to defend her World title in Doha at the World Championships later this month.

Although already signing for the Gauteng based JVW FC, Semenya will only be able to play for the team in the 2020 season as the SAFA Sasol League’s transfer window has already closed.

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“I am grateful for this opportunity and I appreciate the love and support I already get from the team.

“I am looking forward to this new journey, and hopefully I can contribute as much as I can to the club,” Semenya told the club’s website.

South Africa’s women’s football captain and club founder Janine Van Wyk said: “I am absolutely honoured that out of all the other women’s clubs around the world, she has chosen JVW as the club where she would like to start showcasing her football skills.

“I welcomed her at her first training with the team on Tuesday and was impressed to see that she definitely has all the fundamentals.”