The gender issue in the Imane Khelif vs Angela Carini boxing match controversy

The gender issue in the Imane Khelif vs Angela Carini boxing match controversy

Sub : Sci

Sec: Health

Context:

• Algeria’s Imane Khelif defeated Angela Carini in 46 seconds.
• Her gender attracted speculation and abuse, even as the Olympics’ committee supported her admission as a woman athlete.

More on the news?

• The participation of trans women, and women having certain “masculine” biological characteristics like higher testosterone levels, in women’s sports has long been a subject of polarizing debate.

Why did Khelif’s win spark a controversy?

• In 2023, Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei boxer Lin Yu-ting were banned from competing in the  (International Boxing Association’s)IBA’s World Championship in New Delhi after failing a confidential “gender eligibility” test.
• However, both boxers are now competing at the Paris Olympics because the IBA was derecognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over governance and financial issues. 
• The IOC-appointed unit which is governing the competition in Paris only requires the gender stated in an athlete’s passport for eligibility, and Khelif’s passport identifies her as female.
• Following Khelif’s win and the subsequent abuse, the IOC stated that all Olympic boxers complied with eligibility and entry regulations.

How testosterone is impacting athletic performance?

• The SRY gene, found on the Y chromosome, is responsible for the production of testosterone.
• Multiple studies have attempted to decode the impact that this hormone has on physical characteristics.
• This is because  testosterone increases muscle mass and strength, bone size and strength (density), and circulating hemoglobin.
• Other studies  note that data on the matter is inadequate at present.

What is Disorders of Sex Development(DSD)?

• Disorders of sex development (DSDs), also known as differences in sex development or variations in sex characteristics (VSC) are congenital conditions affecting the reproductive system, in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical.
• People with DSD are genetically male but phenotypically female, meaning they have a female appearance and female external genitalia.
• DSDs facilitate greater testosterone production, and other consequent athletic advantages.
• The eligibility regulations of World Athletics requires  DSD athletes need to keep their testosterone level to below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months before they become eligible to participate in any event.

International Olympic Committee (IOC):

• The IOC is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement and is responsible for organising the modern Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
• The IOC is the governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic Movement.