ALARMING, astonishing and unfortunate. That is how to describe events at the OR Tambo International Airport on the day Team South Africa arrived back from the world championships in Berlin.

Instead of the nation welcoming all our athletes and not only Caster Semenya, the scene turned into an ANC mini rally.

And it was perplexing why one "so-called" youth leader demanded to know where white South Africans were on the day. What dismayed me most was that only Julius Malema and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela were given the podium.

What did they have to say? Only the usual political rhetoric.

Why not rather allow the parents of Caster, as the people directly affected by their daughter's humiliation over the gender issue, to talk about their hurt?

My appeal to the media is to please stop imposing Malema on us. We have had enough of his diatribes.

I also feel sorry for Khotso Mokoena and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, whom nobody said anything worthwhile about despite their having won worthy medals.

Puleng Mmila, Seokodibeng