It Was Never About Women's Sports
This week: Trans women banished from global sports; Saudi guts pro boxing with UFC's help; Qatar targets 2036 Olympics; Magnus Carlsen sold out; more athletes denied US visas
Welcome to Everything is Fine!—a bi-weekly round-up post that highlights some of the more absurd sport-politics stories that you may have missed amid the never-ending news cycle. This post is available to free subscribers and is presented by Sports Politika, a media venture founded by investigative journalist and researcher Karim Zidan that strives to help you understand how sports and politics shape the world around us.
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I admit, I’ve been a little distracted this week.
I’m in the final stages of preparing to make a major announcement—something I’ve been waiting to make public for a long time. More on that next week, I promise.
Nevertheless, I’ve been following much of the news over the past couple of weeks, as it relates to my niche. More Palestinian athletes have been killed in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing of the strip; more athletes have been denied visas to compete in the US; Saudi and the UFC are orchestrating a takeover of boxing; Qatar is bidding for the Olympic Games; and there’s been a relentless wave of bans targeting trans women in sports.
Let’s talk about that last one first. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee quietly changed its eligibility rules on Monday to bar transgender women from competing in Olympic women’s sports. The new policy complies with Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The policy also takes the decision away from national governing bodies for each sport, forcing them to adopt the organization’s rules.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will likely also implement new rules barring trans athletes from competing in their chosen categories. Kirsty Coventry, the Olympic gold medalist swimmer from Zimbabwe who became the first female president of the IOC, pledged to protect women in sports during her campaign, and that included possibly barring trans women from competing in the women’s category.
Even Democrats, who used to be staunch supporters of trans women in sports, are mealy-mouthed about the subject now, in fear it could risk making them seem too “woke” or progressive (the horror!). It is a sign of the shift in the prevailing narrative in public discourse.
Listen, there are real threats facing women’s sports, such as sexual abuse scandals, pay disparities, and limited access in developing nations. However, the notion that trans athletes are among those threats is nothing more than a myth. Trans athletes make up an incredibly small percentage of competitors—less than 0.002% of NCAA athletes—and the vast majority do not dominate their sports or win championships. In Minnesota, where trans inclusion has been standard for over a decade, there’s been no seismic shift in women’s sports, just more girls getting the chance to play the sports they love.
For those of you reading this who are frustrated by my stance, I ask you this: if this is only about protecting women, have you been as vocal about other issues? Did you rage about the verdict of the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal? What about the mental health crisis in teenage girls? Or the avalanche of bigotry and hate that several players from England’s national team faced during the Euros? Or the fact that 21% of female athletes experienced sexual abuse in a sport, almost double the rate of male athletes.
The real crisis facing women’s sports is not the minuscule number of transgender athletes, but the failure to protect female athletes from abuse and harassment. Once that is addressed, we can have a discussion about “fairness” in women’s sports.
All I ask of you, dear readers, is to lead with empathy. Instead of tumbling down the all-too-tempting rabbit hole of social media outrage, pause and ask yourself: why are you angry about this in the first place? And why now—especially when trans women have been openly participating in women’s sports for decades? They remain profoundly underrepresented, yet receive the lion share of hostility. They aren’t threats; they’re scapegoat sacrificed on the altar of the culture war.
Before I move onto the other news items I’ve highlighted this week below, I wanted to share a section from an essay I wrote about my wife, Jay, who is non-binary, and why representation in sports matters to them.
Jay and I met during our freshman year at university and have been inseparable since. We got married in 2018 and made our home in a city we both hold dear to our hearts. Three years later, Jay came out as non-binary.
The revelation didn’t come as a surprise. Jay had always embraced their queer identity and had grappled with being perceived as a cisgender woman. When they finally decided to start referring to themselves as non-binary, it felt like the last piece of their intricate tapestry had fallen into place, allowing them to be their authentic self.
Witnessing this extraordinary display of courage filled me with pride, and I continue to be amazed by their strength of character and unwavering determination.
Yet as I watch my partner continue to bloom, I also witness the seeds of hate sprouting across the world. LGBTQ+ people, and especially gender diverse and trans folks, are increasingly being labeled a threat to traditional notions of family and society— a powerful ideological tool for the far right. In Italy, the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni is seeking to block the legal recognition of families with same-sex parents. Poland and Hungary have banned LGBTQ+ content in schools. Russia has passed a law banning trans people from transitioning in any form, whether legally through changing their identification documents to medical gender-affirming care. Meanwhile, in the United States, more than 18 states governed by Republicans have enacted or are in the process of passing laws that ban gender-affirming treatments for minors. Florida has even gone so far as to ban drag shows.
You can read the entire piece here:
News
Saudi Guts Pro Boxing, with UFC’s Help
On Friday, I published a piece for The Guardian looking at new legislation presented to Congress would allow TKO’s Saudi-backed boxing venture to bypass sanctioning bodies and adopt the UFC model, undercutting protections the Ali Act once ensured.
Dubbed Zuffa Boxing, the venture is a joint effort between Ari Emanuel’s TKO brand, Sela, an entertainment subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Turki al-Sheikh, the figure behind Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority and a close confidant of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Fittingly, UFC CEO Dana White is expected to lead the new venture.
To sum up: TKO, backed by Saudi resources, lobbied Congress to design bespoke legislation that would allow them to establish a promotion outside the purview of regulatory bodies and, ultimately, reshape the boxing landscape.
Here is what combat sports lawyer Erik Magraken had to say about the proposed legislation:
“The Ali Act was created to stop coercive and exploitative practices by promoters. It was designed to make a monopolization of the sport not possible. Independent rank and title are the key reasons why pro boxers can command such great purses compared to MMA athletes. Boxers compete for titles. Promoters compete for boxers. If promoters own and control titles then boxers can be exploited by promoters.”
Qatar bids for 2036 Olympics
If you thought Qatar’s time in the sporting spotlight was behind us after the 2022 World Cup, think again. The Gulf state has officially announced it is bidding to host the 2036 Olympic Games, arguing it has “95% of the required sports infrastructure” already built.
“We currently have 95% of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games, and we have a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100% readiness of all facilities,” said Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the QOC and chair of the bid committee. “This plan is rooted in a long-term vision aimed at building a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable legacy. Our objective goes beyond simply organising a successful event, we aim to deliver a global experience that reinforces the values of inclusivity, sustainability and international collaboration.”
Meanwhile, India, Turkey and Chile have also taken steps to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. My native Egypt also expressed interest in hosting the event, though it is unlikely to achieve that ambition given the stiff competition.
Visa denial for Venezuelan baseball team
A group of teenage baseball players from Venezuela were denied entry into the U.S. for the Senior League Baseball World Series this week, marking the latest example of the Trump administration’s cruel policies. A few weeks ago, the Cuban national women's volleyball team were denied U.S. visa to compete in Puerto Rico. The Senegalese women’s basketball team were also denied visas to compete on U.S. soil in June.
Magnus Carlsen sells out
At the risk of overindulging in self-promotion, I wrote another article for The Guardian recently looking at how Norwegian chess champion Magnus Carlsen became the latest global superstar to succumb to Saudi Arabia’s lure.
Carlsen headlined the chess’s debut at the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, which he won on Friday. He also served as a global ambassador for EWC, which is bankrolled by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund.
From my article:
Carlsen now joins other renowned athletes like Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal, and Lionel Messi as well-paid pitchmen for the Saudi regime. In 2023, I broke a story for the New York Times which revealed the details of Lionel Messi’s partnership with Saudi Arabia’s tourism authority – a deal valued at $25m over three years, including publicized vacations in Saudi with his family, as well as a series of promotional material and regular social media posts. However, the real revelation was that Messi’s contract also included a non-negotiable condition for Saudi officials: Messi cannot say anything that might “tarnish” Saudi Arabia’s image.
It is possible, if not likely, that a similar clause is included in Saudi’s agreements with each of its ambassadors, including Carlsen. It is a strategy that allows the kingdom to reap the promotional benefits of being associated with some of the world’s most beloved athletes while maintaining full control of the narrative being presented, under penalty of litigation.
Exiled Afghan Women’s Cricket Team Granted Lifeline
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced plans to support the exiled female cricketers who make up Afghanistan’s national team. It marked a watershed moment for athletes who had fled their country following the Taliban takeover in 2021.
Earlier this year, the team took part in a symbolic match in Australia against another refugee team. However, they’ve been unable to resume their professional careers under the Afghan crest or flag. The ICC’s new initiative should, theoretically, offer new pathways to return to domestic leagues and other global events.
Nevertheless, the ICC has yet to fully recognize the refugee team or grant it full international status. Until then, the team won’t be able to compete under the ICC banner.
What I’m Reading
The Passion of the Cartoonist {The New York Times]
The last few years have seen a rapid diminishment of anything that relies on being displayed in a large venue, and the default now tends to be whatever procrustean version will fit on our stupid smartphones. Printed comics are thus a form of preservation: Manara can show the scale of Caravaggio’s 12-foot-tall “Death of the Virgin” by drawing the artist next to his re-creation of it, and he can know exactly the level of detail he will need in the drawing to make the effect work. You can’t pinch to zoom.
Hulk Hogan Was a Racist, Liar, and Scab [The Nation]
Now that Hulk Hogan has died at 71, the media, top wrestling honchos, and particularly the Trump administration are verbosely mourning this leather-skinned mass of steroids and bile stuffed in spandex. The media is treating Hogan’s death like they are in on a bit. They praise “Hulk Hogan” for being an American hero while ignoring that Terry Bollea led an ugly, amoral life; that he was accused of abuse by both one of his wives and a daughter; that he was broadly loathed by generations of wrestlers; and that his final act involved shilling full-time for Donald Trump. Hulk Hogan was a racist scab and a liar, which made him a natural fit for a prime-time appearance at Trump’s Republican National Convention.
Superman Was Born Woke [New Lines Magazine]
The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini recognized the subversive power of Superman before the war even began. In 1939, he banned Superman and all other American comics from Fascist Italy. (Everything except for Mickey Mouse, that is. Supposedly, Mussolini had a soft spot for Disney’s favorite rodent.)
Egyptian Squash Players Rule the Women’s Game [The New York Times]
In the United States, college teams are peppered with Egyptian players. Three of the final four women’s teams at the College Squash Association Championships this past spring — Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and the eventual winner, Trinity College — all had Egyptian women playing in the No. 1 position.
“They have the most complete squash players I have ever witnessed,” said Jack Wyant, Penn’s director of squash and the women’s head coach. “They are extremely mentally tough because they have grown up in a cauldron of competition. The expectation is that if you can be the best in Egypt, you’ll be the best in the world.”
ICYMI
Karim Zidan: "You can’t really escape sports and politics." [Section 1904]
State of Play Podcast: Summer, Soccer, and Saudi
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This whole "Transathletes are invading women's sport" always felt like a scam and a misdirection to me.