IOC has not yet made a decision on transgender athletes’ eligibility for the Games.

IOC – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk)  – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is still working on a single set of rules for transgender athletes who want to be in the Games. This comes as many sports groups are making their own rules stricter. The IOC, led by its new president Kirsty Coventry, seems to support this change. In June, the committee decided to create these universal rules itself. This was a big change from its old policy, which let each sport make its own rules, leading to a confusing mix of different standards.

To tackle this, President Coventry started a special group in September called the ‘Protection of the Female Category.’ This group, made up of experts and sports leaders, is looking at the best ways to protect fairness in women’s sports. Recently, the group updated IOC members on its progress. An IOC spokesperson stated that the talks are ongoing and no final decisions have been made, promising more information when it is ready.

Before this shift, the IOC let each international sports federation create its own guidelines for transgender athletes. The current rules still allow transgender athletes to participate in the Olympics. So far, only a few openly transgender athletes have competed. Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard from New Zealand was the first, competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

In the United States, former President Donald Trump banned transgender athletes from school sports. He also said he would not allow them in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Following this, the U.S. Olympic committee also banned transgender athletes from women’s sports.

Balochistan govt shuts down all Passenger Bus Services for 3 Days

Many world sports bodies are now making their own stricter rules. World Rugby does not allow transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions. World Athletics has a rule that bans transgender women who went through male puberty. World Aquatics only allows athletes who transitioned before age 12. Soccer’s world body, FIFA, has not yet set a new universal rule, leaving some national groups to make their own bans.

Some sports, like boxing and athletics, have also started new tests for female athletes. These tests look for a specific gene that can cause male physical traits to develop. This is mainly aimed at athletes with a Differences of Sexual Development (DSD), who were raised female but may have some physical advantages typically seen in males.