The International Hockey Federation is among the latest sports governing body to review their policy on transgender athletes in women’s sport, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
An FIH spokesperson told the agency that the organisation is conducting a review of their transgender inclusion policy in consultation with the International Olympic Committee.
The International Olympic Committee had earlier stated that “until evidence proved otherwise, athletes should not be deemed to have an unfair or disproportionate competitive advantage due to their sex variations, physical appearance and/or transgender status”
It however added that each sporting organisation should determine how athletes might be at a “disproportionate advantage”.
The FIH joins World Athletics, Fifa and World Netball among organisations who are reviewing their policies on including transgender athletes in women’s events.
“My responsibility is to protect the integrity of women’s sport and we take that very seriously, and if it means that we have to make adjustments to protocols going forward, we will,” said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
FINA, the International Swimming Federation, last week banned all athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in women’s events.
The new policy, which was passed with a 71% vote at an extraordinary general congress, states that male-to-female transgender athletes could compete in women’s category “provided they have not experienced any part of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2, or before age 12, whichever is later”.
FINA also said that it intends to set up an “open” category to allow transgender athletes to compete.
The International Cycling Union also revised its rules by increasing the transition period on low testosterone from 12 months to 24 months and also reducing the maximum permitted testosterone level.
The Rugby League also announced a ban on transgender players from women’s international matches while it develops a “comprehensive inclusion policy”.
