We have seen the likes of South African sensation, Caster Semenya get frustrated due to sporting bans and hindrances that are more so linked towards competition fairness in terms of gender, physiques and hormones.
The question that still lingers in our minds is whether measures are being put in place to tackle this issue and finally bring inclusivity in sports.
All was well and sundry when sporting headlines globally had major news to share; New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard became the first ever transgender athlete picked to compete at an Olympic event. Apparently, she was competing in men's events before coming out as transgender in 2013.
The 43 year old became eligible to compete at the Olympics when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) changed its rules in 2015 allowing transgender athletes to compete as women if their testerone levels went below a certain mark. Critics however stressed that Hubbard ultimately has an unfair advantage and that this is slowly killing women's sports.
On the flipside, 5 athletes have recently been banned from the Tokyo Olympics events. The athletes are; Namibian Sprinters, Christine Mbona and Beatrice Masingili, 2-time South African Olympian Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and Margaret Wambui of Kenya. Surprisingly, World Athletics rules stipulate that women competing in races between 400 metres and a mile are required to have testerone levels checked and below a certain threshold (5 nanomoles per liter). The guidelines also allow athletes to take medications meant to lower their natural testosterone levels.
The move might be accepted well by the larger female competitors but still detrimental when it comes to inclusivity more so when it comes to trans women in sport.
Transgender Meaning :
A person whose gender identity isn't the same as the sex on their original birth certificate. In other cases, people who experience a difference between their sex and gender are referred to in medical terms as having gender dysphoria and describe themselves as transgender.
The Sporting world has also been intrigued by a self acclaimed transgender.
Israeli football had its first transgender referee, Sapir Berman officiate a match up between local clubs, Hapoel Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem.
After publicly coming out as a woman, Beitar received support from family, fans, football officials and players showing that indeed sport can have some kind of inclusivity. But just to what extent since it seems only applicable to certain cases.
Having a third gender in sports seems almost inevitable but at the same time completely far fetched regarding the complexities that come with it; from toilet bathrooms, to competition rules and also maintaining the freedom of gender choice… this is certainly an issue that lingers in our minds as to how fairness and inclusivity can be matched without biasness.