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Badminton Federation launches investigation process for transgender policy – Espanol News

Proponents of transgender inclusion argue that insufficient studies have yet been done on the impact of the transition on physical performance, and that elite athletes are often physical outliers in any case.

Proponents of transgender inclusion argue that insufficient studies have yet been done on the impact of the transition on physical performance, and that elite athletes are often physical outliers in any case.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Thursday it has started an investigation process to help it make “evidence-based decisions” for its policy on the participation of transgender athletes in the sport.

Badminton’s governing body is the latest to carry out a review of its guidelines following last weekend’s ruling by world swimming body FINA, which voted to ban anyone who has passed the male puberty.

World Athletics and FIFA are among the governing bodies reviewing their transgender inclusion policies.

In November, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that no athlete should be excluded from competition for a perceived unfair advantage due to their gender, but stopped short of issuing regulations defining eligibility criteria.

“The BWF currently follows the UK Government Transgender Policy Framework as guidance for managing this area for both domestic and international tournaments,” the organization said in a statement.

“However, we acknowledge the recent IOC recommendations and have begun a sport-specific investigation and evaluation process to make evidence-based decisions relevant to badminton that are fair to all stakeholders.”

Proponents of transgender inclusion argue that insufficient studies have yet been done on the impact of the transition on physical performance, and that elite athletes are often physical outliers in any case.

FINA’s new eligibility criteria drew criticism from transgender cyclist Veronica Ivy, who described it as “unscientific”, and LGBT rights group Athlete Ally said it was “discriminatory” and “harmful”.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said in announcing his organization’s review that “if it is a judgment call between inclusion and equity, we will always fall on the side of equity, that to me is non-negotiable.”

Rugby league banned transgender players from international women’s competition until further notice on Tuesday, while cycling’s governing body, the UCI, tightened its eligibility rules last week.

World Rugby instituted a ban on transgender players from competing at the elite level of women’s football last year, citing safety concerns.

The governing bodies for hockey, triathlon and canoeing have also released revisions to their transgender inclusion policies.

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