Eight players from Iran’s female team ‘not fully women’

[BLACKEAGLE]

Eight players from Iran’s female team ‘not fully women’

In 2014, it was reported by UK paper The Telegraph that four footballers from Iran’s national women's team were men. (Al Arabiya)

By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News
Monday, 28 September 2015

Iran's national women's team has come under fire this week after it emerged that eight players of the group were not females, according to Al Arabiya News Channel’s Arabic language website.

“[Eight players] have been playing with Iran’s female team without completing sex change operations,” Mojtabi Sharifi, an official close to the Iranian league, said during an interview with the Iranian website Young Journalists Club. The proportion of players in the team who were born men was not known.

(Al Arabiya)

In 2014, it was reported by UK paper The Telegraph that four footballers from Iran’s national women's team were men.

Sharifi, who did not mention the name of the players, but said that some of them have played as men their entire career but only revealed their gender on the last day of their duty.

He added that Iran’s football governing body was entirely responsible for the scandal which he described as “unethical”

The country's football governing body did not react to Sharifi’s comments.

Doubts regarding the gender of some apparently female players in Iran have existed for a long time, with suspicions raised about a goalkeeper back in 2010.


Last Update: Monday, 28 September 2015 KSA 17:34 - GMT 14:34
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/sports/2015/09/28/Eight-players-from-Iran-s-female-team-not-fully-women-.html

 

[missbishi]

This might seem like a terrible thing to say but I'm pretty sure I could tell you who the men were just by looking at the picture.

Rudeness aside, surely it's time that FIFA introduced some sort of gender verification? This can be done with a urine sample so modesty shouldn't really be a concern.

This raises a bigger question though. Is it OK for someone who was born male but has undergone gender reassignment (or vice-versa, or course) to play for a women's team? Are the physical differences unfair?

 

[Psyche]

I think that if the person decides to become female, sure it is fair. That would involve hormone therapy and bring them within a the reasonable range of performance available to females. I also doubt it is something a person would choose just to have a chance at some gender-specific sports achievements. If they did I would hope the gender-reassignment counselor would catch it and not approve the surgery.

If a few trans-women end up with a minor advantage that is not big deal compared to the alternative which is discriminating against trans-women athletes by not allowing them to compete as women.

 

[Corzhens]

This thread may sound sexist but what the heck. We had a player before named Nancy Navalta who was a good runner in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11 seconds. When she was sent to international competition, she failed the sex test. Her refusal to undergo a physical examination added fire to the controversy. Until now all we know are speculations that the runner is an hermaphrodite.