As unpleasant and badly handled as it was, the people that run athletics were 100 per cent right to order Caster Semenya to take a gender test.
The politically correct brigade have come out in force this week saying that making the young South African runner take the test was an infringement on her human rights and an insult to her pride.
But what exactly was the athletics ruling body IAAF supposed to do? Ignore the situation? Of course not. They are duty bound to do everything they possibly can to ensure their sports are fair and balanced. If they suspect there is something going on which upsets that balance they are obliged to look into it.
And, let's be honest, they had every reason to suspect something.
Let's forget for a minute that Semenya is not the prettiest girl on the planet, has a masculine physique and a voice like a New Orleans blues singer chewing hot gravel. There are no rules saying women athletes have to be delicate, good-looking and dainty. If there were, some sporting events would have to be cancelled in their entirety.
No, this isn't about a cosmetic issue, but genuine concerns. For a start, Semenya has managed to shave a whopping eight seconds off her personal best time in less than a year. That is an absolutely staggering improvement that is way above normal.
Secondly, and most importantly, tests carried out recently showed the runner had three times the normal level of testosterone in her body. If that amount of male hormone in a female runner doesn't get alarm bells ringing in IAAF headquarters then nothing will.
That's not to say the IAAF have handled the situation well. They haven't. The news of the test should never have been made public unless the results revealed something that required an announcement.
And, equally, they should have waited until after the event to get Semenya to take the test. It was grossly unfair to impose that sort of distraction on a young person just hours before the biggest race of her life.
But, despite those considerable and unforgivable errors, that in no way means the IAAF shouldn't have ordered the tests to be carried out. It is something they simply had to do.
At this point I think it is important to point out that nobody is suggesting that Semenya has done anything wrong herself. She is not being accused of cheating or deliberately concealing her gender.
The theory is she may have a medical condition that gives her a number of masculine attributes, not least of which are increased body strength and speed. And if that is the case it gives her an unfair advantage over her competitors.
Of course, you have to feel sorry for the girl. What should have been one of the proudest moments of her young life has instead been turned into an international controversy. And the IAAF has to take all the blame for turning an unpleasant but private situation into a public circus.
The worst part is that the results of the tests could take several weeks to be issued so this whole episode is not going to be laid to rest for quite a while. Hopefully for Semenya the results will prove that she is all woman and she can get back to doing what she loves without any clouds of doubt hanging over her.
One thing still puzzles me though. With triple levels of testosterone in her body, how the heck did she motivate herself to do something as energetic as racing? Surely she would have preferred a night in with some mates, watching the football on telly, eating pizza and drinking beer...
Beating the cheating
You want a solution to the problem of players diving to win penalties? It's simple. Just ask them.
The whole 'how to deal with simulation' debate has risen again on the back of Eduardo's alleged dive in Arsenal's match with Celtic.
And while reading up on the subject I came across a chap who suggested the best solution was getting referees to ask the players whether or not they had cheated. At first it sounds silly, I admit, but after a bit of thought I believe it may just work.
Here's how it would pan out: A player goes over in the box and the referee is unsure if it is a real penalty or a dive. The referee asks the player who is claiming the penalty if he was really fouled. If he admits it was a dive the incident is forgotten, the player warned and the defending team given a free kick.
If he insists it was a penalty, then the penalty is given. However, if television replays after the match show it was clearly a dive then the cheating player is given an automatic ban for, say, 10 games.
As I said, it sounds a bit bizarre but, provided the punishment for those proved to have dived is severe, it could actually go some way towards eliminating a problem that has been around for donkey's years.
It is about time some of the pressure was taken off the match officials and put on the players themselves. Surely asking these people to display a little honesty in return for their huge wages isn't asking too much. Is it?
Lock up the thugs
It is a disease many of us thought had been all but eradicated from the English game. But events this week have shown hooliganism is still alive and well.
The scenes at Upton Park were absolutely horrendous, both outside the ground where rival fans fought running battles with each other and the police, and inside the ground where more Neanderthals thought it would be smart to invade the pitch and dish out racist chants.
The match between West Ham and Millwall, two clubs with questionable hooliganism records, was like going back in time to the dark days of the 1980s. A heartbreaking reminder that there are still a minority of brain-dead, moronic thugs who view supporting a club as nothing more than an excuse for mindless violence and abuse.
Don't these people realise there are women, children and elderly fans at these matches? Not to mention the thousands of genuine supporters who would no more consider taking part in a street fight than they would contemplate sawing off their own nipples.
The various English parties who have a vested interest in this incident, from the Football Association to the team bidding for England to host the 2018 World Cup, have called on the fans responsible to be banned from football for life.
But that is a wishy-washy move. And one that has been proven unworkable by the fact that a number of the troublemakers on this occasion had already been served with banning orders. Yet they still turned up for the fight.
So I think the authorities need to go further. Ban them from all football matches forever, yes; but then also chuck in a lengthy prison term as well. And I mean lengthy, not one of these half-hearted six month jobs or 100 hours sweeping the streets. No. A proper spell in jail - maybe five or six years.
These animals are pure, unadulterated filth. The scum of the earth. Maybe, just maybe, if you lock up some of them for a long time, their equally scum-like brothers-in-arms will realise carrying out hooliganism is not worth the punishment.
There are no excuses from the police side either. Although I hate the very idea of CCTV, in this case it has its uses. Many of those responsible for the trouble both outside and inside the ground have been caught on camera and that should be more than enough to ensure justice is done.
And I, for one, want to see it done.
Your say
"I saw your predictions about the English Premier League. I wish I could wait till the end of the season but you were so rude commenting about Burnley that I have to reply immediately.
"While you are entitled to predict that Burnley are going to be relegated it should stop there. Comments like there 'is no hint of sour grapes' and 'be relegated by Christmas' are very rude, and you hurt a lot of Burnley supporters like my father and I.
"Although my first team is Juventus, my father supports Burnley with all his heart, and so do I.
"I'm glad Burnley beat your team Sheffield United last year, and I suppose that is why you made those rude comments.
"By the way, yesterday Burnley shut your mouth for a while by beating English champions Manchester United. Next time, show respect to all supporters and be fair with everyone."
Jason Muscat
sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com