‘We will never allow a transgender born a man to fight a woman’
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed plans for his sanctioning body to introduce a transgender category for boxing from 2023.
The ongoing debate around transgender athletes competing in sports has dominated news in recent times, with allowing transgender women, who were born male, to compete against cisgender (not transgender) women, who were born female to go against each other.
While the debate hasn’t been at the centre of the boxing world, the WBC are anticipating that this could happen so want to take action early.
The WBC want to set up an independent category of leagues and tournaments and will issue a “global call” to transgender boxers willing to compete.
Sulaiman also wants to use the ‘at birth rule’ which will guarantee that a transgender boxer who was born male will only be able to compete against another transgender boxer who was born male.
‘It is the time to do this’
“We are going to put out a global call for those who are interested in 2023 and we will set up the protocols, start consultation and most likely create a league and a tournament,” Sulaiman explained to The Telegraph.
“It is the time to do this, and we are doing this because of safety and inclusion.
“We have been the leaders in rules for women’s boxing – so the dangers of a man fighting a woman will never happen because of what we are going to put in place.
“In boxing, a man fighting a woman must never be accepted regardless of gender change. Woman to man or man to woman transgender change will never be allowed to fight a different gender by birth.”
He added: “We are creating a set of rules and structures so that transgender boxing can take place, as they fully deserve to if they want to box.
“We will not allow – ever – a transgender born a man to fight a woman, who was born a woman.
“But we are creating a set of rules and structures so that transgender boxing can take place, as they fully deserve to if they want to box.”
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