Criticism abounded after an Algerian female boxer, Imane Khelif, knocked out her opponent within an unbelievable 46 seconds this week during the ongoing Paris Olympics. While the entire social media fixated on her testosterone levels (so much so that a human rights chief demanded the Olympic Committee be \u201cashamed\u201d for the \u201cabsurd and dangerous spectacle of men in women\u2019s sport), little attention was given to questions about Khelif\u2019s right to survival.
\nTaiwan\u2019s Lin Yu-Ting found herself in the same boat where her biological orientation and the fact that she had spent a lifetime training for this big moment did not matter as opposed to a misinformed uproar. The clash shed light on the darker side of sports, where politics and personal agendas often overshadow the true spirit of competition. Impact of the short bout was felt far beyond the boxing ring. In light of the extraordinary ordeal endured by a female who was registered as a female in a largely conservative country, wouldn\u2019t it be right to wonder whether the controversy-peddlers are selective in their choice of gender advocacy?
\nThe likely repercussions, which a star athlete would have to face all her life as she tries to substantiate her gender, were not considered a worthwhile matter because of the tears of a white woman. History is replete with such examples where politics, in one way or another, manages to enter the realm of sports, tainting it beyond repair. Political agendas have always been there to influence the outcome of sporting events, leaving athletes as mere pawns in a larger geopolitical game.
\nFor now, the Olympic body has decided to stand behind the athletes, drawing a line to the widespread scrutiny and asserting that it would not be a part of the \u201cwar.\u201d Notwithstanding the inclusivity of trans athletes, inaccurate commentary that pressurises two women, makes light of well-documented evidence of their gender and ruffles feathers all around just because some people are not happy with their achievements cannot help advance anyone\u2019s cause.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Criticism abounded after an Algerian female boxer, Imane Khelif, knocked out her opponent within an unbelievable 46 seconds this week during the ongoing Paris Olympics. While the entire social media fixated on her testosterone levels (so much so that a human rights chief demanded the Olympic Committee be \u201cashamed\u201d for the \u201cabsurd and dangerous spectacle […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-422878","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n