Indian <keyword id="19914933" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wrestler" source="keywords">wrestler</keyword> <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vinesh Phogat" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vinesh Phogat">Vinesh Phogat</keyword>'s <keyword id="19902399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="disqualification" source="keywords">disqualification</keyword> from the 2024 <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword> has stirred significant controversy. After winning her semi-final match in the women's 50 kg category, Phogat was disqualified from the final for being 100 grams overweight during the <keyword id="22700472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weigh-in" source="keywords">weigh-in</keyword>. This minor excess weight barred her from competing in the gold <keyword id="20619512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="medal" source="keywords">medal</keyword> match, a decision that has now been appealed to the <keyword id="20348023" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Court-of-Arbitration-for-Sport" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Court of Arbitration for Sport" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Court of Arbitration for Sport">Court of Arbitration for Sport</keyword> (<keyword id="20253262" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CAS" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CAS" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CAS">CAS</keyword>).<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112361398" title="&amp;quot;Ma, wrestling has won, I have lost&amp;quot;: Vinesh Phogat says goodbye to wrestling in a heartbreaking post" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2>The role of CAS</h2>The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is an independent institution founded in 1984 to resolve sports-related disputes through arbitration and mediation. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, CAS operates globally, including setting up ad-hoc divisions in Olympic host cities to handle disputes during the Games.<br /><br />The CAS's jurisdiction covers various areas, including <keyword id="20527667" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="doping" source="keywords">doping</keyword> violations, eligibility issues, and disputes arising from sporting regulations. The decisions made by the CAS are typically final and binding and can only be appealed on limited grounds in special circumstances.<br /><h2>Notable sports disputes</h2>The CAS has been involved in several high-profile sports cases over the years. One notable case was that of Indian sprinter <keyword id="21523333" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dutee-chand" source="keywords">Dutee Chand</keyword>, who challenged the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) hyperandrogenism regulations. CAS ruled in her favour, allowing her to compete in women's events without undergoing medical intervention to lower her testosterone levels.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112340537" title="Weight disqualification: 6 extreme things athletes do to avoid getting disqualified from their weight categories" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>CAS also handled numerous doping cases during the Olympics, taking over from the International Olympic Committee's Disciplinary Commission in 2016. This included cases from various sports where athletes were either acquitted or sanctioned based on evidence presented.<br /><h2>The Vinesh Phogat appeal</h2>Phogat's appeal to CAS seeks to overturn her disqualification and secure her the silver medal. Her case highlights the stringent nature of weight categories in combat sports and the extreme measures athletes sometimes take to meet these requirements. The CAS decision will determine whether she can be awarded a joint silver medal, considering her successful performance in the semi-finals before the weigh-in incident.<br /><br />Meanwhile, many have come to Phogat’s support. American wrestler and Olympic gold medallist Jordan Burroughs has called for a reevaluation of the weigh-in rules for wrestling competitions. He proposed that athletes should have a more flexible weigh-in schedule that accounts for minor weight fluctuations, potentially allowing a grace period or buffer zone. Burroughs emphasised the need for rules that reflect the physical and practical realities faced by athletes, suggesting that the current stringent regulations can unfairly penalise competitors who miss weight by minimal amounts, as seen in Phogat's case.<br /><br />The CAS decision on Vinesh Phogat's appeal will be closely watched, not just by the wrestling community but by sports enthusiasts worldwide, as it underscores the importance of fair play and the rigorous standards athletes must adhere to.<br />

Who is CAS that will decide Vinesh Phogat's medal fate in the Paris Olympics?

<keyword id="19944940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-athlete" source="keywords">Indian athlete</keyword> <keyword id="21523333" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand" source="keywords">Dutee Chand</keyword>, the country's first openly gay sprinter, on Friday, talked about the <keyword id="22634959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-controversy" source="keywords">gender controversy</keyword> being faced by <keyword id="22652000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Algeria-boxer" source="keywords">Algeria boxer</keyword> <keyword id="22646344" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Imane-Khalif" source="keywords">Imane Khalif</keyword>, at the ongoing <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword> and defended the athlete's right to compete in the competition. <br /><br />Italian boxer <keyword id="22631089" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Angela-Carini" source="keywords">Angela Carini</keyword> quit her 66 kg women's category boxing match against Algeria's Imane Khalif on Thursday, handing the latter, who was banned from competing in world championships following failures in testosterone and gender eligibility tests, a win in the opening round. Algeria's Khelif won the fight within just 46 seconds after her opponent quit. A very few punches were thrown before Carini abandoned the match, which is a rare occurrence in <keyword id="20634596" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympic-boxing" source="keywords">Olympic boxing</keyword>.<br /><br />Dutee shared her own experience of being dropped from the 2014 Commonwealth Games squad when the <keyword id="20386415" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Athletics-Federation-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Athletics Federation of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Athletics Federation of India">Athletics Federation of India</keyword> (AFI) decided to drop her, citing that she was ineligible to compete as a woman athlete, due to hyperandrogenism, which is a medical condition in which woman has a high level of androgens and how it was difficult for her to cope with such problems and immense pressure because of it. <br /><br />She extended her support to Imane, saying that if the <keyword id="20407227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Olympic-Committee" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="International Olympic Committee" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="International Olympic Committee">International Olympic Committee</keyword> (IOC) does not have any problems with her competing and has not raised any questions about her gender, then why her opponent had a problem with her. <br /><br />Speaking to ANI, Dutee said, "A lot of issues occur when such a situation comes up. I faced it in 2014. Before I was selected for the Commonwealth Games, I was dropped from the team. There were media reports that I had to undergo a gender test, that I am not a woman but a man and that is why I cannot play in the women's category. At that time, the biggest challenge was to lead a normal life in society. So, with what is happening at the Olympics, she (Imane) will perhaps face a lot of issues .She will face immense mental pressure.''<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><br /></blockquote> "Before we go to the Olympics, we face a number of tests - Doping Test, Hormonal Level Test, Gender Test. So, if she is facing a gender issue, how did she participate in the Olympics? She has played in a lot of competitions before this. She must have undergone tests there too. When IOC made no complaints that she is male by gender, how can someone question her? She has lost 9 games so far (in her career). Today, she (Angela Carini) is questioning as she lost the game. She would not have raised a question had she won," she added. <br /><br />Following the match, the Italian was in tears and refused to shake hands with Khelif, as per ESPN. In the post-match interview, Khelif said, as quoted by ESPN, that she felt severe pain in her nose during the fight. She also said that she was not going to judge if Khelif should be allowed to compete at the Olympics.<br /><br />"I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said 'enough,' because I didn't want to, I did not want to, I could not finish the match," Carini said. "I am not here to judge or pass judgment. If an athlete is this way, and in that sense, it is not right or it is right, it is not up to me to decide. I just did my job as a boxer. I got into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometre," she added.<br /><br />Just before her gold medal bout in the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women's Championships held in New Delhi last year, Khelif was disqualified as she had failed to meet IBA's eligibility criteria. She was not allowed to compete due to elevated testosterone levels, as per ESPN.<br /><br />But she was allowed to compete in the Paris Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) task force, which is running past two Olympic boxing events, as IBA has been banned from the past two years in Olympics due to governance issues, lack of financial transparency and instances of corruption in judging and refereeing.<br /><br />IOC defended the rights of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, another boxer under scrutiny due to failing an unspecified eligibility requirement in a biochemical test, to compete in the Olympics.<br /><br />Replying to the controversy, the IOC said on Thursday in a statement, "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passports."<br /><br />"These rules also applied during the qualification period, including the boxing tournaments of the 2023 European Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games and Pacific Games, the ad hoc 2023 African qualifying tournament in Dakar (SEN) and two world qualifying tournaments held in Busto Arsizio (ITA) and Bangkok (THA) in 2024, which involved a total of 1,471 different boxers from 172 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Boxing Refugee Team and Individual Neutral Athletes, and featured over 2,000 qualification bouts," the IOC statement read.<br /><br />The IOC said that the athletes in question had been subjects of an arbitrary decision by the International Boxing Association earlier.<br /><br />"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women's category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments. These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process," the IOC said.<br /><br />"According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO. The IBA Board only ratified it afterwards and only subsequently requested that a procedure to follow in similar cases in the future be established and reflected in the IBA Regulations. The minutes also say that the IBA should "establish a clear procedure on gender testing. The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure - especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years. Such an approach is contrary to good governance," the IOC added.<br /><br />The IOC said it was committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games as per the Olympic Charter, the IOC Code of Ethics and the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights. The IOC further said it was saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving, the release added. <br /><br />

Dutee Chand extends support to under-fire boxer Imane Khalif following controversial win in Paris Olympics

<ul><li><keyword id="22621786" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Imane-Khelif" source="keywords">Imane Khelif</keyword> is not “biological male” or “transgender”. She was assigned female at birth, based on the observed external genitalia.</li><li>She appears to have a condition known as differences of sex development (<keyword id="265075" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DSD" source="Orion">DSD</keyword>), previously termed as “intersex”.</li><li>Labelling individuals with DSD as a “biological male/female” can be misleading and problematic, as it oversimplifies their identity.</li></ul><br />A storm is brewing at the <keyword id="20013164" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="2024-Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">2024 Paris Olympics</keyword>, with the spotlight now firmly on <keyword id="22633574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Algerian-boxer" source="keywords">Algerian boxer</keyword> Imane Khelif.<br /><br />The controversy ignited after Khelif's opening bout on Thursday, which ended dramatically when her opponent—Italy's Angela Carini—withdrew just 46 seconds into the clash after suffering a nose injury. This outcome has kickstarted a fierce debate over <keyword id="22633573" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-eligibility" source="keywords">gender eligibility</keyword> in sports around the world.<br /><br />The fallout on social media has been swift and intense, with critics slamming the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to let Khelif compete. Many argue that this situation compromises the fairness of <keyword id="22159410" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="womens-sports" source="keywords">women's sports</keyword>, fueling widespread outrage.<br /><br />Meanwhile, many social media users, including several prominent public figures, labelled Khelif as “biological male”, "a male or man" or “transgender”.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="jk_rowling" handlename="jk_rowling" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1819007216214573268"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="elonmusk" handlename="elonmusk" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1818986936310075743"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="trussliz" handlename="trussliz" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1818966074680873080"></div><br />However, this characterisation appears oversimplified and scientifically inaccurate, and it does not fully capture the complexity of the situation.<br /><h2>Meet Imane Khelif: Born female, living with DSD</h2>Scientifically speaking, classifying Khelif as 'male' or 'transgender' would not be accurate. In fact, contrary to most claims on the internet, her family claims that her assigned gender was 'female' at birth, as per the official birth certificate that Imane's father, Omar, produced during a French TV interview on BFMTV. This classification hinges on the external genitalia observed at birth, which is the most common practice for identifying biological sex worldwide. However, in rare cases, genitalia-based identification during birth can be an inaccurate way to categorise sex, even in medical terms.<br />      <div type="Youtube" id="DV4VMdDoCUA" title="Imane Khelif's father: 'My child is a girl'" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DV4VMdDoCUA/mqdefault.jpg"><url><![CDATA[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DV4VMdDoCUA]]></url></div><br />Khelif’s biological profile presents a nuanced situation. Born female and identifying as a woman, she appears to have a condition known as differences of sex development (DSD), as per experts cited by <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/imane-khelif-dsd-xy-chromosome-test-paris-2024-olympics-b2591171.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">The Independent</a><em></em>. This inference is based on her XY chromosomal composition, elevated testosterone levels and certain physical features, all of which are traits typically associated with males. Such discrepancies can stem from various genetic conditions, including DSD. With that said, it is important to note that Imane has not publicly confirmed having a DSD.<br /><br />DSD can cause a discrepancy between an individual’s chromosomes and their physical characteristics, sometimes resulting in ambiguous genitalia or other variations in sexual development. While the term “intersex” was once used for such conditions, “differences of sex development” is now preferred to avoid the negative connotations of “disorder”.<br />      <div type="image" title="intersex" agency="iStock" msid="112585286" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Mercury symbol (&amp;#9791;) has been used to represent intersex people.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Given the complexities, labelling someone with DSD as a “biological male” or “biological female” can be misleading and problematic. It oversimplifies their identity and can perpetuate stigma, as evident in the current global discourse.<br /><h2>The right to compete without discrimination</h2>The fact that further complicates the narrative around Imane Khelif’s participation in women’s boxing is that she is legally and socially recognised as female. For the social recognition aspect, it is important to consider that she comes from a society where views on transgender and <keyword id="2058740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="intersex" source="Orion">intersex</keyword> issues are shaped by conservative cultural norms and legal frameworks.<br /><br />Instead, Khelif has received strong support in her home country. The Algerian Olympic Committee has defended her participation, condemning the “malicious attacks” and underscoring her right to compete without discrimination.<br /><br />In the midst of mounting controversy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has reiterated Imane Khelif’s eligibility to compete in the women’s boxing category at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The IOC has confirmed that Khelif meets all competition and medical regulations, asserting that “every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination”.<br /><h2>The <keyword id="1142452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand" source="Orion">Dutee Chand</keyword> parallel and complexities of sporting regulations</h2>The uproar surrounding Khelif echoes the 2014 saga of India’s very own sprinter, Dutee Chand, whose story was notably depicted in the 2021 movie Rashmi Rocket, starring Taapsee Pannu.<br />                                                <div type="image" title="Dutee Chand" agency="BCCL" msid="112218868" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dutee Chand&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>Chand faced disqualification from the Commonwealth Games after elevated testosterone levels led to her exclusion under the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) regulations on hyperandrogenism. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) barred her from competition, citing these regulations.<br /><br />Her elevated testosterone levels were, in fact, due to a medical condition known as hyperandrogenism, which is characterised by naturally high levels of androgens (including testosterone) in the body. As per studies, this condition is known to affect approximately seven out of every 1,000 elite female track athletes.<br /><br />Chand’s challenge to this decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) resulted in a landmark ruling in 2015, which temporarily suspended the IAAF’s hyperandrogenism regulations. This allowed her to return to competitive athletics, spotlighting the ongoing issues faced by athletes with intersex conditions.<br /><br />Now, Khelif’s situation has reopened broader discussions on <keyword id="20276643" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-identity" source="keywords">gender identity</keyword>, biological sex and fairness in sports, with political motives also influencing the narrative. Amid this controversy, two points stand out. First, there’s a pressing need for a broader understanding of differences in sex development to foster scientifically informed perspectives. Second, the criteria for intersex athletes—especially in sports where biological differences are pronounced—require a more nuanced and thoughtful approach.<br /><br /><em>Correction: August 12, 2024 — </em><em>The text in paragraph four, six and seven has been edited to accurately reflect the claims around the athlete's assigned sex at birth.</em><br /><br /><strong>Also Read:</strong><em></em><br />                                              <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112009818" title="From sunbeams to Olympic dreams: How a simple mirror creates the legendary Olympic flame" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br /><br />    <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112097005" title="Bite-sized tradition: Why do Olympic winners bite their medals?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Imane Khelif: Is it accurate to label this female-born boxer as ‘biological male’ or ‘transgender’?

<ul><li>Making a significant investment in Indian sports, <keyword id="138873" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma">PUMA</keyword> signs 15 Athletes and <keyword id="11623794" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="3-para-athletes">3 Para Athletes</keyword> in India.</li><li>With an aim to spread a vision of hope, optimism and self-belief, PUMA has signed these athletes as a part of its latest brand campaign ‘Only See Great.’</li></ul>Sports brand PUMA has signed 18 Indian athletes who will represent the country in national and international events across sporting disciplines like shooting, hockey, track and field, boxing, table tennis, discus throw and badminton. It’s a major step for the brand as it continues to push boundaries and celebrate diversity in sports. Through its brand campaign ‘Only See Great’, PUMA aims to explore the very idea of achieving greatness and how these athletes have strived for it during extraordinary times. <br /><br />With an aim to bring about a mindset transformation towards equality in sports, the brand is focused on supporting talent across multiple sporting disciplines. In addition to ace boxing champion, <keyword id="47387" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mary-Kom">Mary Kom</keyword> and Indian national sprinter, <keyword id="1142452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand">Dutee Chand</keyword>, the brand has signed a bevy of big-hitters like boxer Pooja Rani; track and field athlete Tejinder Singh; shooter Manu Bhaker; swimmer Srihari Nataraj; hockey players Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Savita Punia, Sushila Chanu, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, <keyword id="809404" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vandana-Katariya">Vandana Katariya</keyword>, Gurjit Kaur and Udita Duhan. The list also includes para-athletes like shooter Avani Lekhara; table tennis champ Bhavina Patel and discus throw athlete Ekta Bhayan. <br /><br />“We are thrilled and honored to sign some of the country’s finest athletes. As they continue to lead the way with their strength and athleticism, it's equally important to work with them to break down barriers on the field of play. As a brand, we strongly believe that being unique is a great strength and our unwavering commitment to inclusivity in sports is testament to this,” said Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, <keyword id="11623792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="puma-india-southeast-asia">PUMA India &amp; Southeast Asia</keyword>. “Our athletes have time and again proven their mettle. I am sure with their grit and determination they will continue to outperform themselves. I wish them good luck in their pursuit to achieve greatness and make our country proud,” he added. <br /><br />With their eyes set on the challenge, each athlete will be showcasing their prowess as they set out to achieve their own moment of greatness in sport. PUMA’s ‘Only See Great’ campaign puts the spotlight on them as they strive for greatness, listening to their hearts, and finding a vision that no one else can see. <br /><br />Mary Kom said, “I have been associated with PUMA for over two years now and I am proud of the fact that the brand has always been at the forefront of encouraging the spirit of sports. For any athlete, grit, passion and hard work are the key ingredients to success. My boxing journey has not been that easy, but with years of practice, hard work and determination, I achieved the improbable. I am glad to represent India in the international sports circuit after such a long time.” <br /><br />Dutee Chand added, “PUMA was my very first brand association and will always be very close to my heart. I’m thrilled and proud to see the brand encourage athletes across sporting fields and support them in their journey to achieve greatness. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I believe that my hard work has brought me closer to my goal. My single focused aim is to win more laurels for the country in national and international sporting events.” <br /><br />Commenting on the association, Ekta Bhayan said, “Everybody has the right to dream, don’t let disability define you. I hope my sporting journey sets an example for others that nothing can stop them. I am so thrilled to be associated with PUMA at this juncture in my sporting career. It’s great to see the brand continuing to break stereotypes and champion inclusivity in sports.”<br />

Puma signs 18 athletes to celebrate diversity in sports ahead of upcoming competitions

<ul><li>Ace sprinter and called as India’s golden girl <keyword id="1142452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand">Dutee Chand</keyword> has signed her first brand endorsement with <keyword id="138873" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma">Puma</keyword>. </li><li>Chand joins her idol Usain Bolt to be a brand ambassador for Puma. </li><li>In 2019, Chand has broken multiple barriers and records – she became the first Indian athlete to win a gold at a global event and also the first to be an openly gay athlete.</li></ul>India’s golden girl Dutee Chand has signed her first brand endorsement with global sportswear major Puma. The 23-year old sprinter has fought off poverty and discrimination before she achieved her success. <br /><br />Chand has charted a course of history, on the track. She was the third Indian woman to qualify for the summer Olympics. She is also the first Indian athlete to win a gold in the 100m event at the World Universiade Games held in Naples. <br /><br /><strong>The Idol, Bolt</strong> <br /><br />“Ever since I qualified for Rio Olympics, every top sports apparel brand approached me but I couldn’t sign with anyone then,” Chand said in an interview with Business Insider. <br /><br />She signed with Puma as she believes the company helps athletes grow. “People couldn’t even recognise athletes earlier, it was all about cricket. But because of these brands promoting athletes, people are recognising us,” she said.<br /><br />But there’s also a personal reason why Chand chose to endorse this brand. <br /><br />“One of the most important things was that the person I look up to as my idol – Usain Bolt, he also endorses Puma. So, I was even more excited. He is the world’s number one sprinter and I’m India’s number one sprinter and we endorse the same brand,” said Chand with a visible excitement in her voice. <br /><br /><strong>Struggling to make ends meet</strong> <br /><br />Chand hails from the small city of Jajpur in Odisha, and was born to a weaver’s family. During her childhood, Chand has watched her family struggle to make ends meet. She started contributing to the family’s earnings at a young age, and later went on to make a name for herself in the under-18 category in 2012. <br /><br />“When I was a child, I used to run barefoot on the river banks, I didn’t have money to buy shoes. Because of my hard work, I was able to buy shoes for myself but I never knew that one day a brand would make shoes for me,” she said. <br /><br /><strong>‘Not finished yet’</strong><br /><br />This year has been special for Chand. She broke all barriers when she became India’s first athlete to come out and announce that she’s in a same-sex relationship. Then, she made history with her gold at Naples silencing critics. <br /><br />Chand after winning her Naples gold famously said, “I am not finished yet.” She has set another aim for herself. <br /><br />“What remains is an Olympic gold medal and that’s what I’m striving for now. All my dreams will be fulfilled then. Every year, I keep an aim to improve my timing. I have broken my own record multiple times now. This year, my aim was 11.26 seconds, I achieved 11.24,” she said.<br />

‘I used to run barefoot on river banks and today Puma is making shoes for me’ says ace sprinter Dutee Chand

<ul><li><strong><keyword id="1142452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dutee-Chand">Dutee Chand</keyword> won a gold medal in the 100-metre sprint at the 30th Summer University Games in Naples, Italy.</strong></li><li><strong>She holds 100m National record with 11.24 seconds. She made it into the finals with a timing of 11.41 seconds in the semifinals.</strong></li></ul><br />India’s champion sprinter, Dutee Chand made headlines again by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the 100-metre sprint at the 30th Summer University Games in Naples, Italy. She finished the race in 11.32 seconds.<br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="14054" retweetcount="2262" status="Exceptional achievement of an exceptional athlete!   Congratulations @DuteeChand for winning a hard earned and well… https://t.co/eB8TkeZU7e" createdat="1562737701000" id="1148831303678119936"></div>



<br />The 23-year-old sprinter, is also India’s first openly gay athelete. She holds 100m National record with 11.24 seconds. She made it into the finals with a timing of 11.41 seconds in the semifinals. <br /><br />This is a historic win for India as no athlete has won a gold medal at this edition of the games. In 2015, shot-putter Inderjeet Singh landed a gold medal in Universiade. <br /><br /><strong>‘Picked it Up’<br /></strong><br />Dutee Chand took to Twitter to express her happiness. "With years of hard work and your blessings, I have yet again broken the record by winning the Gold in the 100m dash in 11.32 seconds at The World University Games, Napoli. In the pictures, are the other winners too, with a heart of Gold from Germany and Sweden."<br /><br />She also posted a picture of herself with the gold medal and captioned it: "Picked it up". "Pull me down, I will come back stronger!" she tweeted another picture.<br /><br />Chand, a 100m record holder and winner of two Asian Games silver medals, recently made the headlines after she opened up about her homosexuality. She revealed that she is in a same-sex relationship with a girl from her hometown.<br /><br />Born in Chaka Gopalpur in Odisha to cotton weavers, Chand has been championing the cause of eligibility of female athletes in track and field events.<br /><br />With IANS<br />

Dutee Chand becomes the first Indian woman to win 100m Gold in World Universiade

<strong><br /></strong><ul><li><strong>The number animal cruelty cases in India is rising.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>Moreover, what makes it worse is the liberal laws against people who commit such crimes. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>As we approach <keyword id="8427227" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Animal-Rights-Day">International Animal Rights Day</keyword> in December 10, 2019, here are some celebrities who inspired people to fight against animal cruelty: <br /><br /></strong></li></ul>On September 8, 2019, at least 90 stray dogs <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/at-least-90-stray-dogs-found-killed-in-buldhana-district-1596980-2019-09-08">were found killed with their muzzles</a> and legs tied with strings in Maharashtra. There are several instances where India saw animal cruelty. The number animal cruelty cases is rising. Moreover, what makes it worse is the liberal laws against people who commit such crimes. They are accountable <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-to-revise-fines-for-animal-cruelty-after-nearly-60-years-with-penalties-of-up-to-6000-report/articleshow/67143919.cms">to pay a penalty anywhere between ₹10 to ₹50</a>. <br /><br />As we approach International <keyword id="6360323" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="animal-rights">Animal Rights</keyword> Day in December 10, 2019, here are some celebrities who inspired people to fight against animal cruelty: <br /><br /><br />
	
	<div type="Slideshow" msid="72442019" hostid="261" title="From Anushka Sharma to Ratan Tata to Dutee Chand⁠— these are some famous Indian personalities backing the fight for animal rights" firstImageMsid="72442170" slideCount="8"></div>





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From Anushka Sharma to Ratan Tata to Dutee Chand⁠— these are some famous Indian personalities backing the fight for animal rights

<ul><li>Kareena joins the brand’s roaster of dynamic women personalities like Adriana Lima, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Sara Ali Khan, MC Mary Kom, and Dutee Chand. </li><li>Puma’s last campaign in India was <keyword id="8238661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Propah-Lady">Propah Lady</keyword>. It had started a conversation around redefining what a ‘proper lady’ is. It created a ripple effect on social media; women started sharing their ‘unconventional pictures,’ writing their own rules, and posing as ‘Propah Lady.’</li><li>After on-boarding Kareena Kapoor Khan, Abhishek Ganguly, General Manager, <keyword id="567332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puma-India">PUMA India</keyword> and Southeast Asia says the brand aims to ignite a stronger women’s narrative.</li></ul>Global sports brand PUMA has teamed up with Kareen Kapoor Khan as its brand ambassador. With this association, Kareena joins the brand’s roaster of dynamic women personalities like Adriana Lima, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Sara Ali Khan, MC Mary Kom, and Dutee Chand. <br /><br />Known for her dedicated fitness routine, Kareena will be the face for PUMA’s soon-to-be launched Studio Collection – a low-intensity training apparel collection perfect for Yoga, Barre, and Pilates workouts. Channelling her sartorial workout looks, the collection is sure to keep one moving from the studio to the streets with a practice in style.<br /><br />“What I connected most with PUMA is that they have always been pushing boundaries, encouraging women to be their unapologetic self. This resonates deeply with me because it’s something I’ve always believed in and followed for myself, whether in my personal or professional life,” said Kareena Kapoor Khan who has been brought on board as the brand ambassador. <br /><br />Kareena adds, “This new partnership with PUMA gives me an opportunity to connect with and encourage more women to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle. Fitness is an essential, integral part of my life and I truly enjoy it in its various forms whether its Yoga, Pilates or even just a morning walk. I’m looking forward to everything Puma and I have planned in the coming months.” <br /><br />Speaking about the association, Abhishek Ganguly, General Manager, PUMA India and Southeast Asia says, “Kareena personifies our philosophy ‘where the gym meets the runway’. She is not only an inspiration but is also a true embodiment of what it means for women to maintain a healthy lifestyle while donning multiple hats. We are thrilled to have her join the PUMA family. Through this association, we aim to ignite a stronger women’s narrative for the brand.”<br /><br />PUMA’s Studio Collection will be available from April 2020 on PUMA.com, PUMA Stores and selected retailers.<br />

Puma tries to ignite a stronger women’s narrative by on-boarding Kareena Kapoor Khan as its latest face

<ul><li>The lack of <keyword id="584178" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="menstrual-hygiene">menstrual hygiene</keyword> has always been a challenge in India.</li><li>According to UNESCO and Whisper, 23 Million girls drop out of school due to lack of menstrual hygiene and awareness.</li><li>Ergo, P&amp;G’s Whisper is on a mission to raise awareness and educate girls on Menstrual Hygiene Management.</li><li>We catch up with Chetna Soni, Category Leader - Feminine Care, P&amp;G Indian sub-continent to understand the state of menstrual hygiene in India and how Whisper is working towards improving awareness among young girls in the country.</li><li>We also look at Whisper’s marketing campaigns over the years.</li></ul>For the longest time, the Indian society has treated menstruation as a taboo. The word ‘Period’ is usually uttered in hushed voices and years of social conditioning have built a culture of silence around what is a normal biological phenomenon. <br /><br />With young girls and women having limited access to menstrual education and basic sanitary care products, the concept of menstrual hygiene has also remained a challenge in India. And periods don’t stop for pandemics. In fact, lockdowns intensify the impact of household level taboos and stigmas on women -- making it more difficult to manage menstruation without shame and discomfort in confined spaces. In rural India, the unavailability of sanitary napkins coupled with unhygienic and crowded washrooms and toilets in their localities have worsened the situation for women. <br /><br />According to Menstrual Hygiene brand Whisper and UNESCO, the global pandemic has forced girls to abandon sanitary napkins for menstrual pads made of cloth, which has raised the spectre of a looming health hazard. Adding to the misery, the lack of menstrual hygiene education in India is also impacting 23 million girls dropping out of school.<br /><br />Throwing light on how the global pandemic has impacted menstruating people in rural India, Chetna Soni, Category Leader - Feminine Care, P&amp;G Indian sub-continent, said, “These unprecedented times have made it even more difficult to keep girls in school. The premature closure of schools due to the pandemic affected access to education, especially for girls from marginalized communities. This has made them even more vulnerable to dropping out of school completely. Many of these girls would receive pads for period management from school which stopped, leading to them using unhygienic period protection. According to UNESCO, 74 crore girls were disproportionately impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and it may further affect their return to school. Now more than ever, it is important we ensure girls have access to period protection and education. And support them in every way we can to protect their future.”<br /><br />So, to help these young girls in rural India stay in school during the pandemic, Whisper launched ‘Mobileshaala,’ a free phone-based learning platform. It worked with supporters like Soha Ali Khan, Dutee Chand and Bhumi Pednekar to spread awareness. The brand also donated more than 32 lakh pads to essential workers, women in shelter homes, women from migrant families and communities in need across India, in partnership with various State Government bodies and relief organisations.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="State of menstrual hygiene in India during a global pandemic" text="State of menstrual hygiene in India during a global pandemic"><span data-til="noop">State of menstrual hygiene in India during a global pandemic</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />The global pandemic has taken up all our medical attention and resources. On the other hand, period poverty is a decades-old, silent pandemic that is getting worse for menstruating people in our country. This is a direct consequence of social stigma, lack of awareness and poor access to menstrual products. <br /><br />Shedding more light on the current state of menstrual hygiene in India, Soni shared, “Even today, menstrual hygiene is not considered a priority in India. Out of a total of ~40 crore menstruating women in India, less than 20% use sanitary pads. In urban areas, this number only goes up to 52%. This indicates that nearly half of even urban-based women use unhygienic methods for period protection, making them vulnerable to health issues. In our conversations with various young girls, we discovered that many of them prioritize beauty products but are not ready to spend a fraction of the amount on an essential like sanitary pads. Adoption of sanitary napkins is less than 20% in the country whereas adoption of cosmetics like lipstick is significantly higher at 65%. In addition, there is still a social stigma associated with periods.”<br /><br />Whisper is on a mission to help India achieve 100% menstrual hygiene adoption. It is focusing on 3 A’s to build a better world for menstruating women, which are awareness, acceptance and access. <br /><br />As per Whisper and UNESCO’s studies, about 71% of adolescent girls in India remain unaware of menstruation until they get their first period, adversely affecting their confidence and self-esteem. Whisper aims to help all young girls arm themselves with enough information about menstruation. It launched #KeepGirlsInSchool movement with UNESCO. The partnership is aimed at developing an integrated puberty education module in school curricula and helping young girls in achieving their full potential. In addition to this, the brand Whisper has also taken a pledge to educate 3 crore girls in the next three years.<br /><br />Telling us more about the campaign's performance so far, Soni said, “The campaign truly sparked a national movement which was very encouraging. We will be impacting more than 90 Lakh girls and help keep them in school. Supported by UNESCO this year, we aim to integrate a period education module in the school curriculum in India - to ensure systematic changes ensuring girls are equipped to manage periods and don't miss out on school or their dreams. The movement has been able to drive awareness amongst 5.5 crore people in just one year. The support from key opinion leaders like Mr. Eric Fahlt and Dr. Huma Masood from UNESCO, Bhumi Pednekar, Soha Ali Khan, Dutee Chand amongst others has been testament to a movement we can collectively drive. We see this as a pivotal movement to attain 100% menstrual hygiene In India.” <br /><br />But there’s hope after all.<br /><br />30 years ago, less than 1 crore women used hygienic sanitary protection during their period. Whisper has helped accelerate this number by 10X and it continues to grow. <br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Using the right marketing tools to empower women and girls" text="Using the right marketing tools to empower women and girls"><span data-til="noop">Using the right marketing tools to empower women and girls</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />Soni told us that the brand follows a simple principle for marketing. In every communication, it strives to be a force for female good. She shared with us a few key milestones that Whisper has crossed in its marketing journey so far.<br /><br />Recalling the first change-making campaign that Whisper worked on, Soni said, “Whisper was the first brand to show a sanitary napkin on television and mention the word ‘periods’ in advertising as well as demonstrate how the product works on National TV back in 1993. Pushing communication boundaries for societal good is at our core.”<br /><br />In 2014, Whisper bust the taboo around ‘touching the pickle’ during menstruation.<br /><br />                    <div type="Youtube" id="5s8SD83ILJY" title="Announcing the End of Period Taboos | #TouchThePickle" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5s8SD83ILJY/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />“Whisper became the first brand in India in 2014 to take the topic of period taboos head-on in the globally renowned Whisper ‘Touch the Pickle’ campaign. The campaign went on to win several global awards including Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions and sparked a conversation in India that led to periods being front and center in the society. The campaign is also known as the trailblazer for bringing periods out of the closet in popular culture as the government, entertainment industry and social sector became part of the movement. We followed this up with award-winning revolutionary campaigns such as ‘Whispers Break Silence’ and ‘Meri Life Mere Rules’, characterized by local cultural insights and have led to organic consumer movements,” shared Soni. <br /><br />Under the same campaign, Whisper launched an advertisement urging chemists to not wrap sanitary napkins in a black plastic bag or newspaper. <br /><br />                    <div type="Youtube" id="SyZDsDthu0Y" title="My #TouchThePickle Moment" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SyZDsDthu0Y/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />Its current campaign is the #KeepGirlsInSchool movement. <br /><br />                    <div type="Youtube" id="10b1vVe_SQ0" title="Whisper Keep Girls in School" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/10b1vVe_SQ0/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />While there has been a sea of change in normalising the conversation around periods, there is still so much more road to cover. Here’s hoping that more menstrual hygiene brands stop using blue liquid in their ads to represent period blood and help normalise it.<br />

Adoption of sanitary napkins is less than 20% in India, whereas adoption of cosmetics like lipstick is significantly higher at 65%: Chetna Soni, P&G

By Philem Dipak Singh <p> New Delhi, May 10 () Contributing in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, top Indian sprinter Dutee Chand drove down nearly 70 km from Bhubaneswar to her village to distribute food packets.    </p><p> Dutee took special passes from the authorities in the state capital and took her Mahindra XUV, donated to him Anand Mahindra in 2016, to her village Chaka Goopalpur in Jajpur district of Odisha.</p><p> "This lockdown has hit hard the people in my village and I just wanted to help them in whatever small way I could. So, I took special passes and reached my village on Friday. I distributed food packets to around 1000 people," Dutee, who has now returned to Bhubaneswar, told .</p><p> "My family and I had informed the villagers about my visit. People came to my house and I distributed food packets." </p><p> The 24-year-old Dutee is now at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar, where she had pursued Business Administration degree.</p><p> The athletics track there has been named after her.</p><p> "I am planning to go back again and distribute food to the villagers. We have around 5000 people in the village and next time I will take 2000 food packets," she said.</p><p> "I approached KIIT founder (and BJD Member of Parliament) Achyuta Samanta for help. I spent Rs 50,000 from my pocket and the rest was arranged by him," she said.</p><p> Dutee is yet to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and the qualification process has been suspended by World Athletics till the end of the year. </p><p> She had travelled to Patiala in March to try and qualify for the Olympics in the Indian Grand Prix Series but the worsening health crisis had led to the suspension of athletics calendar. </p><p> She said the smiling faces of her villagers and the thought of making a small contribution on her part has lessened the anxiety of an athlete yet to qualify for the Olympics.</p><p> "Naturally, it would have been better had I qualified for Olympics by now, it is not easy. But I feel better when I see those smiling faces. The older people among the villagers gave me blessings to bring a medal in the Olympics.</p><p> "It is not about the money but the satisfaction that I could do something for the society and for my village where I grew up. My parents are also happy with what I am doing."</p><p> The Athletics Federation of India is planning to start the season in September and Dutee said she will take part in competitions at the first opportunity. The national events this year will not be Olympic qualifiers, though.</p><p> "I am inside the KIIT campus and there is a track inside the campus, so I am using it. But I am not doing training full steam, it is much lesser than the usual training ahead of competitions. </p> "There is no competition ahead, so I just want to keep myself fit and be ready for an event which may come up. It will help me to be ready, I will not have to start from the scratch once the competitions begin," she concluded.  PDS  AT

Dutee distributes 1000 food packets in her village amid lockdown

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12989845" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lia-thomas" source="Orion">Lia Thomas</keyword> made history as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA national title.</li><li>Her win has sparked a debate about the role of testosterone levels in women's <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> and who gets to dictate those policies.</li></ul><p>On March 17, Lia Thomas made history as the first transgender woman to win an NCAA national title in any sport.</p><p>Her win reignited a debate that has loomed over women's sports over the past decade: what is the role of testosterone in determining whether a player is qualified to compete? What defines a woman and who gets to create that definition?</p><p>Thomas has undergone intense scrutiny and accusations that she has an unfair advantage over her competitors because she spent a large portion of her life biologically male. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-coe-future-of-women-s-sport-is-very-fragile-h79qkhrw3">reportedly</a> defended the organization's testosterone regulations, saying that the future of female sports is "fragile."<br /><br />African female athletes, including <keyword id="11893858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="caster-semenya" source="Orion">Caster Semenya</keyword>, have faced the same accusations for years.</p><div type="image" title="Lia Thomas." height="1666" width="2222" msid="90505271" hostid="261"></div><p>After her reign as one of the top athletes in the world, winning gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, middle-distance runner Caster Semenya was barred from competing in any future games.</p><p>In 2018, World Athletics — the international governing body responsible for the rules and regulations of sports such as <keyword id="11918848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="track-and-field" source="Orion">track and field</keyword> — created a "protected" women's category, which disqualified Semenya from competing.</p><p>The rule also impacted 45 other female athletes across three events, many of whom were from African countries.</p><p>"It's disgusting what is happening," Nana Brantuo, a Black Studies Scholar at the University of Maryland, told Insider. </p><p>Former World Athletics Council member Steve Cornelius told Insider he did not believe this rule would exist if the athletes affected were European women. </p><p>"If these athletes were blonde and Scandinavian, or Russian and they looked like supermodels, would we be having this debate? We're having this debate because they don't like the appearance of these athletes," Cornelius said.</p><p>The "protected" women's category was created to exclude athletes who are considered DSD, which refers to differences in sexual development. </p><p>After learning about the new policy, Cornelius stepped down from  World Athletics in 2018. </p><p>He isn't the only one questioning the legitimacy of the category. </p><p>Brantuo called the "protected" category one of the most explicit forms of anti-Blackness she has ever seen, and said it speaks to the dehumanization and discrimination Black women athletes such as Simone Biles and Serena Williams face internationally.</p><div type="image" title="Caster Semenya" height="1000" width="1333" msid="90505272" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Semenya continues to fight.</strong></h2><p><a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-release/questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg?type=press-release&amp;type=press-release&amp;type=press-release&amp;type=press-release&amp;urlslug=questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg&amp;urlslug=questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg&amp;urlslug=questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg&amp;urlslug=questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg&amp;urlslug=questions-answers-iaaf-female-eligibility-reg&amp;type=press-release">According</a> to World Athletics, a DSD athlete is a legally female or intersex athlete that has either an XY chromosome, testes, circulating testosterone in the male-specified range of7.7 to 29.4 nmol/L rather than the lower female-specified range of 0.06 to 1.68 nmol/L, or they are androgen sensitive. </p><p>Over the past few years, Semenya has become the most prominent face of the DSD gender athlete category, but the rule has impacted other <a href="https://www.insider.com/intersex-olympic-athletes-barred-from-competing-in-preferred-olympic-event-2021-7">talented</a> African female <a href="https://www.insider.com/two-namibian-sprinters-banned-from-olympics-400-meter-event-at-olympics-2021-7">athletes</a>, as well. </p><p>Semenya said she tried using the recommended hormonal drugs to reduce her natural testosterone levels in order to compete, but the medication made her "constantly <a href="https://www.insider.com/intersex-olympic-athletes-barred-from-competing-in-preferred-olympic-event-2021-7">sick</a>."</p><p>In a press release, she wrote, "No other woman should be forced to go through this in order to have the same right that all women have — to do what we love and run the way we were born." </p><p>The belief that testosterone is an athletic miracle potion is not supported by science, Katrina Karkazis, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Amherst and author of "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?asin=0674725328&amp;platform=browser&amp;postSource=bi%7C61044df8f1315a0ea4738d19&amp;postTag=biauto-40514-20&amp;sc=false&amp;type=AMAZON-AFFILIATE-LINK&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F0674725328%3Ftag%3Dbiauto-40514-20&amp;sessionid=1638541075796sjl09zya&amp;tag=bisafetynet2-20">Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-olympics-uses-testosterone-to-treat-trans-athletes-like-cheaters-2021-7">told</a> Insider earlier this year. </p><p>"I don't see why you'd subject someone to medical treatment for non-medical reasons just because you don't like the fact that she fits into a category that you've created," Cornelius said.</p><h2><strong>Anti-Blackness goes beyond one Black athlete's success.</strong></h2><p>Supporters of the protected category have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/sports/track-gender-rules.html">argued</a> the criteria is necessary because there are scientific and hormonal differences between male and females. They say the rules have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/sports/track-gender-rules.html">nothing</a> to do with anti-Blackness.  </p><p>However, doctors have stated that testosterone doesn't impact an athlete's performance. </p><p>In 2021, <a href="https://www.insider.com/caster-semenya-olympic-ban-based-on-misleading-report-authorities-say-2021-8">The Telegraph</a> reported that the evidence gathered by two World Athletics scientists that claimed to show increases in performance from females with high testosterone levels was found to be misleading. </p><p>"To be explicit, there is no confirmatory evidence for causality in the observed relationships reported," Stephane Bermon, the current director of World Athletics' health and science department, said after the findings were made public. "We acknowledge that our 2017 study was exploratory."</p><div type="image" title="Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates winning the Women's 100 Meter final on day 2 of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track &amp; Field Team Trials" height="2661" width="3992" msid="90505273" hostid="261"></div><p>Black athletes are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/02/brianna-mcneal-doping-ban-tokyo-olympics/">over-tested</a>, villainized, and dehumanized routinely, Brantuo said, so even if they are able to compete, they are still dealing with other forms of systemic anti-Blackness. </p><p>In February, 15-year-old Russian phenom Kamila Valieva <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-skater-kamila-valieva-tested-positive-for-banned-substance-2022-2">failed her drug test</a> at the Winter <keyword id="11896183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics" source="Orion">Olympics</keyword> in Beijing but was still able to compete, drawing criticism. </p><p>Just seven months earlier, prior to the Tokyo Summer Games, American track star <a href="https://www.insider.com/shacarri-richardson-kamila-valieva-Olympics-race-doping-2022-2">Sha'Carri Richardson</a> failed a drug test and Nigerian sprinter <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/32353421/nigerian-sprinter-blessing-okagbare-facing-3-charges-doping-case">Blessing Okagbare</a> failed a doping test. </p><p>Both Black athletes were not allowed to compete in the Olympic games. </p><p>Brantuo said the banning of Semenya, Richardson, and Okagbare is tightly linked to the villainization Black female athletes face internationally.  </p><p>Whether it's Serena Williams facing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/serena-williams-responds-to-accusations-she-was-born-a-man-2018-5">internet conspiracies</a> that she was born a man, or Simone Biles receiving lower <a href="https://www.vox.com/22575301/simone-biles-olympics-scoring-explained-gymnastics-yurchenko-double-pike">scores</a> after performing moves that few other female gymnasts have been able to successfully execute, Black female athletes have fought countless forms of misogyny and racism worldwide.</p><p>"The idea that us saying that [these policies] only impacts one group of specific people makes it any less anti-Black is very wrong," Brantuo said.</p><h2><strong>A former member of World Athletics said the organization still has a "colonial view."</strong></h2><p>Over the last few years, Semenya has taken the fight against World Athletic's head on. Her lawsuits were tried at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court. So far, they've been unsuccessful. </p><p>A representative at World Athletics told Insider in an email that they stand by the "protected" women's category because their criteria has been dictated by medical experts. They referenced the challenging of the rule during Semenya's legal battle in 2019 with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Its executive summary reads: </p><p>"A necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the legitimate objective of ensuring fair competition in female athletics in certain events and protecting the "protected class" of female athletes in those events."</p><p>However, Cornelius said World Athletics has tried to "regulate" women's competition since 2010. The first athlete to challenge the criteria was Indian runner <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/sports/sprinter-dutee-chand-fights-ban-over-her-testosterone-level.html">Dutee Chand</a>. She has hyperandrogenism — a condition that places her natural testosterone levels outside the specified female range — and, in 2014, won her lawsuit in court. </p><p>As a South African, Cornelius' decision to step down from the World Athletics' body in 2018 was a matter of fairness, he tells Insider. As a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal, he said he couldn't enforce the "protected" women's category criteria on Semenya or any other woman because he said the World Athletics suffers from the vestiges of colonialism.  </p><p>World Athletics was born during the height of global colonialism in 1912. Moreover, most people who <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/structure/council">decided</a> the protected criteria a few years ago were white European men. </p><p>"That colonial view is still there,'' Cornelius said. "It's still pretty much Europe dictating to the world in most sports. They tolerate the US and others simply because of the power they have in sport. You can't really ignore the US or Australia."</p><div type="image" title="Namibia's Christine Mboma celebrates silver medal at Tokyo 2020." height="1263" width="1684" msid="90505274" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Black female athletes from African nations will continue to be targets, advocates say.</strong></h2><p><a href="https://time.com/5942286/caster-semenya-women-sports-european-court-human-rights/#:~:text=South%20African%20athlete%20Caster%20Semenya,two%2Dtime%20Olympic%20champion%20challenges">Semenya</a> and Athletic South Africa, the sports international governing body for South Africa, escalated the matter to the European Court of Justice.</p><p>As for now, the "protected" women's category only applies to three events — the 800m, 400m, and 1500m — because the World Athletic body stated that's when the higher testosterone levels create the largest advantage.   </p><p>However, people on both sides of the debate suspect that with Namibia's Christine Mboma's second-place finish in the women's 200m at the 2020 Olympics, the "protected" criteria will spread to other women's events. </p><p>Because of Mboma's high testosterone count, she is not able to compete in the 800m, 400m, and 1500m events.</p><p>"For African women, there is a particular pathologizing that is just ages old that we know to be based in othering Black women," Brantuo said. "It's undeniable whether from Ghana, Jamaica or South Africa there are different circumstances that many of these athletes face and are subjected to throughout international sporting events that just don't match up to their white peers."</p>

Why you can't discuss Lia Thomas without talking about Caster Semenya

<ul><li>With an aim to understand what goes behind the lens and camera, Advertising and Media Insider introduces you to its video series, 'Behind The Ads.' </li><li>In our first episode, we get behind the scenes of Puma’s ‘Propah Lady’ campaign that was released last month and started a conversation around redefining what a ‘proper lady’ is. </li><li>It encouraged women to come forward, make their own rules and celebrate who they really are. </li><li>Debosmita Majumder, Head - Marketing, Puma India and Siddhi Desai, Creative Director, Digitas India told us how it all started — from a poem for Puma’s ‘Shatter’ range of shoes to a digital film that ended up getting 20 million views in less than a week.</li></ul>With an aim to understand what goes on behind the scenes, Advertising and Media Insider introduces you to its video series called 'Behind The Ads.' The video series will give you a deep insight into the behind-the-scenes of an advertisement and the entire creative process — from brainstorming, arriving on the ‘big idea’ to finally executing it. <br /><br />In our first episode, we look behind Puma's 'Propah Lady' campaign that broke social media with its insight into what makes a woman 'proper'.<br /><br />The campaign’s core narrative goes beyond breaking stereotypes and puts focus on how women are owning their stand and living unapologetically. With a fresh perspective, the fun and relatable direction aims to give women an expression to celebrate their individuality and live life through their own mantra — like a ‘Propah Lady.’ <br /><br />Puma partnered with Digitas to conceptualise and bring the digital campaign to life. Led and made by 90% women, this campaign also created a ripple effect on social media; women started sharing their ‘unconventional pictures,’ writing their own rules, and posing as ‘Propah Lady.’<br /><br />Debosmita Majumder, Head - Marketing, Puma India and Siddhi Desai, Creative Director, Digitas India told us how it all started -- from a poem for Puma’s ‘shatter’ range of shoes to a digital film that ended up getting 20 million views in less than a week. <br /><br />They further revealed what is was like working with Indian Olympic boxer MC Mary Kom, International Athlete Dutee Chand, Bollywood actor Sara Ali Khan and model Anjali Lama on a single set. <br /><br />Let's get Behind the Ad and see how it all started in the first place: <br />
    <div type="Video" msid="72214381" hostid="261" title="Here's the story behind Puma’s empowering, unapologetic campaign, Propah Lady" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=72214381"></div>



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Here's the story behind Puma’s empowering, unapologetic campaign, Propah Lady

<h3><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5773d1badd089531228b4cfd-2400/ap_974423874419.jpg" alt="Dutee Chand" data-mce-source="Associated Press" data-mce-caption="Indian runner Dutee Chand (pictured) has been fighting the ban that makes female athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone ineligible to compete under International Association of Athletics Federation rules." /><p class="source"><span>Associated Press</span></p><p class="caption">Indian runner Dutee Chand (pictured) has been fighting the ban that makes female athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone ineligible to compete under International Association of Athletics Federation rules.</p></div><p></p></div></div>International sports organizations have long subjected female athletes that exhibit certain 'masculine' qualities to invasive gender tests, according to a report by the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/magazine/the-humiliating-practice-of-sex-testing-female-athletes.html?partner=socialflow&amp;smid=tw-nytmag&amp;smtyp=cur&amp;_r=0">New York Times Magazine</a>.</h3><p>The tests were designed to identify those with chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, reproductive organs or secondary sex characteristics that didn't develop in the typical way, according to the report.</p><p>Female athletes suspected of exhibiting 'male' attributes were forced to undergo blood tests to measure their natural testosterone levels.</p><p>They also underwent a chromosome analysis and a gynecological exam that entailed measuring and palpitating the clitoris, vagina and labia. Their breasts and pubic hair were evaluated, too, the report said.</p><p>The exhaustive exams were conducted by organizations including the International Association of Athletics Federations and the International Olympic Committee.  </p><h3>Organizations designed the tests to catch male athletes masquerading as women, but advocates argue they actually discriminate against "intersex" women.</h3><p>The tests were originally designed to catch male athletes pretending to be women, but instead, the only athletes who seem to be affected by the exams are intersex women, the report said. </p><p>The estimated number of people considered "intersex" (as physicians have largely stopped using the stigmatizing term "hermaphrodite") varies from one in 5,000 to one in 60. The wide range is because doctors aren't really sure what conditions to include in the definition.</p><p>Some women considered intersex have XX chromosomes and ovaries but ambiguous genitalia, while others have XY chromosomes and undescended testes, which makes them appear female at birth (and thus they are raised as such).</p><h3>Indian runner Dutee Chand became the face of the fight against such gender testing, after she had been deemed ineligible to compete. Tests found that she had naturally high testosterone levels.</h3><p>Chand went through such testing in 2014 after extraordinary showings at two major races. Her "male hormone" levels were found to be too high, which meant that she produced more androgens (mostly testosterone) than most women.</p><p>As a result, Chand was told she could no longer race, and that she would have to lower her testosterone levels in order to qualify again. She then took her case to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport.</p><p>In July 2015, the three-judge panel suspended the I.A.A.F.'s policy to ban female athletes with higher levels of natural testosterone until July 2017, unless they provide proof that the levels actually improve athleticism. The judges also said that requiring women, including Chand, to change their bodies to compete was discriminatory.</p><p>In late February, the I.O.C. said it wouldn't regulate the natural testosterone levels of women "until the case was resolved." The organization also said high-testosterone women should be eligible to compete against men.</p><h3><span>The International Olympic Committee recently said women with high testosterone levels should be allowed to compete against men, a proposed policy that advocates called "humiliating."</span></h3><p>Payoshni Mitra, an Indian researcher who served as an advocate for Chand, called the policy "ridiculous."</p><p>"They say the policy is not for testing gender - but saying that a hyperandrogenic woman can compete as a man, not a woman, inherently means they think she really is a man, not a woman. It brings back the debate around an athlete's gender, publicly humiliating her in the process," she told the New York Times Magazine. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-crazy-process-behind-handmade-greek-yogurt-2016-6">The crazy process behind handmade Greek yogurt</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="YwaGZjNDE6QRA7oeRTguMPOSXOn0ljy3" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'YwaGZjNDE6QRA7oeRTguMPOSXOn0ljy3',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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