Examining the spotlight on DSD rules in women’s boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympics
FRANCE-Some individuals with DSDs are reared as females despite having XY sex chromosomes, male blood testosterone levels, and the capacity to use the testosterone that is already present in their bodies.
How do DSD rules impact athletes?
Two boxers who were disqualified from last year’s world championships are competing in the Paris Olympics, reigniting the debate over whether athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) may compete in women’s sport. A collection of uncommon disorders affecting genes, hormones, and reproductive organs is known as Differences in Sexual Development. Some individuals with DSDs are reared as females despite having XY sex chromosomes, male blood testosterone levels, and the capacity to use the testosterone that is already present in their bodies. In most sports, there are divisions specifically for women since it is widely acknowledged that going through male puberty clearly benefits athletes. Boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting violated International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility criteria during the global championships in New Delhi last year. These rules prohibit athletes with XY chromosomes from participating in women’s competitions. Hours before her gold-medal match in New Delhi, Algeria’s Khelif was disqualified, while Taiwan’s Lin, a two-time world champion lost her bronze medal for not meeting the requirements. The boxing tournament at the Paris Games is thus overseen by the IOC, just as it was at the Tokyo Olympics, and its regulations regarding the participation of athletes with developmental disabilities and gender parity in the women’s division are applicable.
What is the history of DSD regulations in sports?
According to the most recent IOC standards, which were released in 2021, inclusion should always be the first choice in these situations and athletes should only be barred from women’s competition if there are glaring concerns about safety or fairness. Federations must establish the regulations to ensure equity while also allowing anybody who desires to participate to do so. That’s a challenging balance, according to IOC spokesperson Mark Adams. It ultimately rests with the authorities in each field. They are well aware of when there is an advantage, and it is obviously unacceptable if there is a significant benefit. However, that choice must be taken at that level, the source continued. Barbra Banda, the captain of Zambia’s women’s soccer team, was disqualified from the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations due to her failure to pass the gender eligibility tests administered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The 24-year-old did lead her nation throughout the Women’s World Cup the previous year, and on Sunday, she scored three goals in the first half of the team’s 5–6 Olympic loss to Australia.
How are DSD rules being implemented at Paris 2024?
According to sportstarthehindu, The Olympic football competition is still governed by FIFA, which released its first set of regulations in 2011. They specify that only men and women may participate in men’s and women’s tournaments, respectively. FIFA is examining its policies, but no completion date has been set. Caster Semenya, the double Olympic 800-meter track champion from South Africa, has unintentionally been in the center of this controversy for more than ten years. As per apnews, The governing organizations of rugby union, cycling, swimming, and athletics have been strengthening their rules in the last several years to bar women from participating in parts or all of these sports if they have the benefit of going through male puberty. Since 2018, Semenya has been prohibited from competing in any distance between 400 meters and one mile unless she takes medication to maintain reduced testosterone levels. She continued her appeal against World Athletics before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in an appearance that took place in May. The matter is still being thought upon.
Call to action: Boycott Pairs Olympics 2024
Racism in the Olympics is very common but here the problem is that France is not contributing to this situation. In this case, not a proper platform is ready for players. Fans are also disturbed from this atmosphere so this event should be boycotted.
