JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- World athletics boss Lamine Diack's planned weekend meeting with South African Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile over Caster Semenya's sex verification results has been put on hold, the Cape Argus newspaper reported on Saturday.

    While the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) maintains that Diack was forced to cancel the October 24 meeting after receiving an invitation from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, it is understood that the ANC's recent calls for the tests on Semenya to be quashed have played a part in his rescheduling.

    IAAF spokesman Nick Davies would not be drawn Thursday on Diack's response to the ANC's demands, but said the IAAF president's trip to South Africa "may still take place, and if it does, the reason for it is very clear".

    "The president would like to find a solution to this matter which puts the interests of the athlete first," he said.

    According to Davies, Diack believed it was important for consensus to be reached over the results of the sex tests conducted on Semenya, which have been analysed by eight medical experts - four from inside the IAAF Medical Commission and four from outside.

    These results needed to be considered along with the results of the controversial tests conducted on Semenya by Athletics South Africa in Pretoria on August 7, Davies said.

    "This is why the president is ready to talk to your sports minister to hopefully get him to agree that this is a reasonable way to proceed. Once that is done, we hope to be able to discuss the results and any necessary consequences directly with Semenya."

    It is understood to be highly unlikely that Semenya, who is sitting sports science exams at the University of Pretoria, will be stripped of the gold medal she won in the 800m at the World Championships in Berlin in August.

    South African Sports and recreation portfolio committee chairman Butana Komphela insisted Diack would have to apologize "to Caster Semenya, her family and the people of South Africa" before any discussions on the issue could take place.

    "I haven't seen or heard anything about a cancellation (of their visit to South Africa). But what I know is that we have sent a letter to the IAAF expressing our dissatisfaction with the harm they have caused this girl. She has been though a lot of hell and we will not allow anyone to bedevil her any further," Komphela added.