Shaunae Miller-Uibo
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Aman Sehrawat.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

For nearly a quarter of a century, Joshna Chinappa has stood like a colossus on the squash court. At 40, Joshna doesn’t seem to have lost her fighting spirit and tenacity.

She knows she is ageing, has tweaked her training module accordingly and has remained one of the finest players in the country a good 24 years after she made her Asian Games debut in Busan in 2002.

Taking part only in the women’s team and mixed doubles (with Velavan Senthilkumar) events at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Games, the veteran from Chennai is more than eager to bag another medal.

Seeded third in mixed doubles, the Velavan-Joshna duo will take on the fellow Indian pair of Suraj Chand and Shameena Riaz in the round of 16 after having received a bye in the first. In the women’s team event (Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna and Shameena are her teammates), the No. 3-seeded India has been drawn in Pool C alongside Japan, China and Iran.

On the PSA World Tour, Joshna’s career has overlapped with three generations of elite squash players. Most of her contemporaries — Nicol David (43), Laura Massaro (42), Jenny Duncalf (43), Alison Waters (42) and Annie Au (37) — have long retired, underlining her remarkable longevity.

Placed 73rd in the chart, Joshna is India’s third-highest ranked woman behind the 18-year-old Anahat Singh (World No. 17) and Tanvi Khanna (World No. 71). A winner of 11 PSA titles, she continues to perform at a high level and is determined to make another significant contribution at the Asian Games. Everyone who has followed Joshna’s career knows how meticulous and disciplined she is in her preparation.

Saurav Ghosal, a former men’s top-10 player, perhaps perfectly summed up her longevity. “First and foremost, she really, really loves the game. She’s immensely talented, but she has also worked tirelessly on every aspect of her game to remain at the top for as long as she has. I hope that she comes back from the Asian Games with quite a few gold medals.”

In this interview with The Hindu, the five-time Asian Games medallist reflects on her longevity, debut at the 2002 Asiad, most cherished memories from the continental showpiece, and the motivation that continues to drive her at the highest level. Excerpts:

You are competing at the Asian Games for the seventh time, becoming the first Indian sportsperson to achieve the feat…

I honestly didn’t think I would make a seventh Asian Games appearance. I just focused on my training and tournaments. It definitely feels great to be a part of the Indian team again.

You have won five medals at the Asiad, but a gold remains elusive. What are the chances of clinching the yellow metal?

We have a strong team and yes, it would be great to win another medal. I have always taken my matches one at a time, so I am as prepared as I can be.

Looking back, which was your best Asian Games?

Performance-wise, 2018 would probably be the best I played (singles bronze and silver in women’s team).

How special was it to be on the Asiad stage as a teenager?

As a 15-year-old, it was amazing to see so many superstars of Indian sport in one Village. There is one memory that stands out from my first Games in Busan in 2002. We are usually given our official India clothing and I would obviously wear that to play and train. But in my down time at the Village, I wore a personal T-shirt at the food hall a couple of times, and legendary hockey player Dhanraj Pillay told me that I had to be in my India clothing. It’s something we should always be proud of. It was inspiring for me because it made me aware that I am always representing my country at the Games on and off court… that has stayed with me till now.

You were part of the top 10 in the PSA rankings thrice. When you got there for the first time as a 29-year-old in July 2016, how did you feel?

The top 10 is a special place. It took a lot of effort, especially coming back from my ACL surgery, and years of work with my team.

There were top players like Nour El Sherbini, Raneem El Welily, Nouran Gohar, Camille Serme and Massaro. So how difficult was it to get or stay there?

I definitely played with a bunch of incredibly talented and hardworking women who were greats of the game. Playing with them, beating some of them and making it to the top 10 was one of the best moments of my career.

What did the win over Nicol — an eight-time World champion — in the 2018 Asian Games women’s team semifinals mean to you?

It meant a lot because I have always looked up to her and admired how humble she is as a champion. I really wanted to do it for the team. She is one of the greatest of all-time. Coming in from the disappointment of losing singles and making the team final after beating a strong team like Malaysia was amazing!

You had a on-court rivalry with Dipika Pallikal but shared a bond and went on to bag medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games…

We have had some amazing wins together for India and I will always think of my time competing with her and playing alongside her as inspiring and motivating.

You have won 11 Tour titles. You had to wait 10 years to earn your latest crown, at the Japan Open in 2025. Why did it take so long to end the drought?

I didn’t expect to win in Japan. It felt great to win after ages, especially since I beat girls who were in their early 20s and were ranked way higher than me. The difference now is that I am a lot more relaxed towards competing and I am more performance-oriented than result-focused. Maybe it just helps me enjoy and appreciate these moments more and play better squash.

Every title I have won has come at different times of my life: they all have come after years of training and preparation. Each one has been rewarding.

How have you been able to sustain at this level for nearly quarter of a century? Is it down to mental sharpness, your focus on fitness, outlook towards life or all three?

The main reason I am able to still compete today is my parents. My team, including my coach, strength and conditioning trainer, physios, nutritionist and sports psychologist, has been amazing. The support from my sponsors, the State government, Central government and Squash Rackets Federation of India has been great. It takes a lot to compete at the highest level and it’s only possible because of the amazing people I work with. I do work a lot on the mental and physical side of the game besides recovery. I really appreciate and worship my body, which has been so incredibly supportive.

How much has the sport evolved since you began playing?

So much! At the international level, the game has become so much more physically demanding, faster and skilful. Domestically, we have many players playing, and the level has improved a lot. Seeing so many PSA (World Tour) events happening in India is wonderful because many of our players benefit tremendously by playing in them and watching the top players competing here in India.

Squash will make its debut at the 2028 LA Olympics…

Such exciting times ahead for squash. India has a great chance to do well.

You had knee injuries/surgeries in 2011 and 2023? How challenging was it physically and mentally to come back from those?

I tore my ACL on the right knee in 2011 and was out of the game for a year. I was encouraged to quit playing and get into coaching. I had no financial support but I moved to Bombay (Mumbai) and worked with a really good Egyptian physio and trainer — Ahmed Youssef. When I got back to playing, coach Ritwik Bhattacharya helped me. Some of my best victories came after that surgery because I believed I had a lot more to offer to the game and I really wanted to play for India again.

And in 2023, during the last Asian Games, I found that there was no cartilage in my right knee and it also needed a surgery. But I did the surgery more for quality of life as it was painful to do basic things like driving, getting out of bed comfortably and jogging. My surgeon, Dr. Jagdeesh, who did my ACL surgery, also did my cartilage surgery and told me that I would be able to compete again. So I moved to Bengaluru and worked with Yash Pandey at Peak Performance. I got back on court after five months of rehab. I decided to train and play for a couple more years to see if I could play the Asian Games.

How big a support has your father been and what are your memories of playing with him at Madras Cricket Club?

My dad is the main reason I am here today. He introduced me to the game as he was a squash player himself. I have the best memories of tagging along with him to the MCC and playing squash with him, other MCC members and my friends. He was my coach and motivator for a very long time, especially when I was a junior.

For more than a decade, Alvaro Robles has been a regular presence on the international table tennis circuit. The Spanish left-hander, who has reached a career-high No. 28 in the world, has spent nearly 10 years inside the top 100 and is now a familiar face in the Ultimate Table Tennis, having featured in six of the seven editions.

Robles’ journey, however, began with an unlikely idol: Timo Boll. As a teenager in Spain, he watched videos of the German great and began copying his game before eventually moving to Germany to train alongside some of the world’s best.

That decision, he says, shaped not only his table tennis but also his personality.

Now a father of two, Robles continues to juggle the demands of a professional career with family life while trying to earn another shot at the Olympics.

In an interaction with The Hindu, he spoke about Boll, his move to Germany, the evolution of Spanish table tennis, longevity in the sport, UTT’s impact on Indian table tennis and his desire to feature in another Olympics. Excerpts:

You have spoken about Boll being one of your idols. How did that fascination begin?

I started watching him when I was 16 or 17. He was in his prime and I watched so many of his matches. I took a lot of motivation from his game. I think my style is quite similar to his.

Was there a particular moment that got you hooked to his style?

What I remember most is that when I was 16 or 17, we started getting access to computers and I watched the first videos on YouTube. I was very impressed. I started copying him in practice and tried to take every skill from him as a left-hander. As you said, it was natural for many lefties to copy Boll.

You then moved to Germany. Did you get an opportunity to interact with him?

Not very often, but a few times. I played against him and practised with him. It was a privilege to share those moments with somebody I really admired. I could never beat him — he was so good — but I managed to have some close matches. I was very happy about that.

How much did moving to Germany transform your career?

It had a huge impact on my career and table tennis. I got to know the best players in the world and learnt more about training systems, how other players think and what mentality is required to reach the top.

How difficult was it as a teenager to take that decision?

It was a difficult choice. When you decide to move, you don’t know the consequences or what you will face. But it was a beautiful journey to discover. If I look back, I would do it again. I met people from all around the world… different countries and cultures. I am really happy to have experienced that kind of life.

Was it tough for your family to understand why you wanted to move to Germany?

In Spain, there was not much of a tradition for table tennis. My parents supported me, but I am not sure they knew exactly what kind of future I would have. I am grateful for their support and the freedom they gave me because that allowed me to develop my career, my personality and my character. I discovered so much about myself during that journey.

How much has Spanish table tennis changed over the last two decades?

It has developed a lot. I think we have been very successful in improving the medium level of players. Now we have around 20 players competing at a very similar level. They are not yet at the top level, but many are between 100 and 300 in the world and can compete really well.

The next step is obviously to have more players inside the top 100. But even at the base, we have some amazing under-13, under-15 and under-17 players achieving unbelievable international results.

If a Spanish teenager came to you today saying he wanted to make a career in table tennis, what would you tell him?

First, it is very important to understand the background of each player — where they come from, which club they belong to, how old they are and what they want to achieve. Everyone is individual and different. That is the first thing I would observe before giving any advice. I would like to know the background of each player so I can help them better.

You have spent almost a decade in the world’s top 100. How demanding is that consistency?

It is very demanding. For 10 years I have been inside the top 100, and it costs a lot. In my case, the secret is consistency in the work. I thought about my practice, physical condition and performance every day. I was worried about improving every day and maybe that is why I have remained around the top 50. Now I am No. 67, but before the Olympics, I reached No. 28, which was great for my career. I keep thinking every day about how I can return to my best shape. I hope I can remain at this level for another 10 years.

Players are now extending their careers well into their late 30s and 40s. How has that become possible?

A few things have changed. There are now many opportunities to continue playing WTT events and league matches. There are great leagues where players can earn an income. To perform for many years, there is much more information about taking care of yourself — nutrition, physical preparation and psychology. Earlier, many players didn’t have access to so much information.

Because of this, we feel better with our bodies, play with fewer injuries and continue believing that we can play at 38, 40 or 42. Then it comes down to your mental approach, motivation, circumstances, family and how long you want to keep travelling. Look at Robert Gardos, who is 47 and still performing extremely well. That is impressive, but it is also because he takes great care of himself.

How would you compare the support structure in Spain with countries such as Germany or Sweden, or India?

Support is not only about money. For me, support means having a structure of coaches and people who help develop the sport — physical trainers, analysts, physiotherapists and people guiding players towards their maximum potential.

Sometimes we are confused. Support is not simply ‘I give you money and then you do what you want.’ Support is creating a structure that helps a group reach its potential. That is what is improving now.

How difficult is it to balance travelling for seven months a year with family life?

It is difficult. I have travelled abroad for six or seven months a year, and it is hard when you know your family is at home. My children are young and they miss me.

We try to manage the logistics so they can come to some tournaments. My daughter came to the World Championships in Doha last year and they came to a Contender in Macedonia. That gives me energy because being away from home for so many weeks is difficult. Bringing them with me and having them around gives me motivation to keep trying for my best results.

How has fatherhood changed the approach to your career?

Totally. Even though I thought I would manage it one way, everything changed because the feelings are different. Suddenly, you have to face things you are not prepared for and manage them with your wife and family.

I think that it has been the biggest work I have had to do in recent years — more than table tennis: learning how to handle family life with professional life.

You have been part of UTT for six seasons. How have you seen the league evolve?

Quite well. The idea was to create a league where foreign players could bring experience to Indian table tennis. Now you see how much Indian table tennis has grown. It is crazy.

If you compare 2018 with 2026, you can now see how many Indian players are in the top 100, top 50 and top 40. Youngsters play as if they have 20 years of experience.

Earlier, you didn’t see that. Now there are many of them. That has come from the investment and effort of the federation and the people who wanted to create the league. It is very impressive.

You see youngsters such as Syndrela Das, who was watching from the stands when she was 11 or 12, now playing against players like Manika Batra and even beating them. That comes from a country’s big effort to develop a sport.

What do you enjoy doing away from table tennis?

I love sport. I like playing tennis, padel and football. All my hobbies are related to sport. Going out with my wife when the kids are not with us is also something I enjoy — going on holiday after many months of hard work. That is how I switch off and recharge.

You have won a World championship doubles silver and a European mixed doubles gold. What remains the biggest target?

The European championship gold in mixed doubles is a great achievement because, at the end, it is a gold medal. It is very special to me. But the Olympics is always the biggest stage. Everything I am doing is aimed at getting that experience one more time. I know winning an Olympic medal is something really, really difficult… on another level.

But I try to find my best version and keep the opportunity open. You never know. I will keep fighting to be there and give my best version one more time.

Mirabai Chanu at a training session in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh, on March 05, 2026.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

After taking up squash full-time following his graduation from Cornell University in the USA two years ago, Veer Chotrani has emerged as one of the players to watch out for on the PSA Tour.

The 24-year-old from Mumbai has quietly climbed the PSA rankings ladder to a career-high World No. 40, registering notable wins over top players. Chotrani has now set his sights on winning the Asian Games gold medal in singles, which offers direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“If I win the Asian Games singles gold, I will clinch an Olympics berth. Nobody knows who will play in the individual events (at the Asian Games) because you have the mixed doubles event as well. But if I get a chance to play singles, it will be a pretty good opportunity,” Chotrani told The Hindu.

He also spoke about competing full-time on the PSA Tour, the challenges a professional player faces, and his desire to perform better in Platinum events in the new season.

You are ranked 40th in the world. Are you satisfied with your season?

Yes, it was good. I’ve seen progress in every department of my game. I had some good wins. There were also a few matches where I didn’t get the result, but I feel that my performances against some of the top players were really good. Overall, it was a positive season.

You registered some impressive wins over Abhay Singh and other higher-ranked players this season. Which performances would you consider the highlights?

I beat France’s Baptiste Masotti, who was in the top 20, at the Squash on Fire Open in Washington. That was probably my biggest win… my first victory over a top-20 player. I beat Abhay twice (in the Indian Tour in Mumbai and the World championships in Giza) out of the three times we played each other. I played one of my best matches when I pushed top-10 player Joel Makin (Wales) to five games at the New Zealand Open in Christchurch. Reaching the quarterfinals of the Hamburg Open was great.

These kinds of performances have given me a lot of confidence and motivation to keep pushing. I know that I have the potential to get up there very soon. It’s just a matter of time before I put together a consistent run of good results. Hopefully, that happens next season.

Which are the areas you think you need to work on?

My game has definitely improved, but I still think there is plenty of work to do, especially on the mental and physical aspects. That is what really separates players like me from the top guys. At this level, almost every player has the squash ability to compete at a very high standard. But who is willing to push themselves physically and mentally to the absolute limit to get over the line? That is what separates the top-10 players from those ranked in the 30s and 40s.

That is something I’m working on. The more exposure I got against the top-10 and top-20 players this season, the more I learnt. It gave me a much better understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level, something I didn’t fully have before this season. Being able to step on court with someone like Makin, who is among the top players in the world and one of the fittest on the Tour, and being able to stay with him and compete was a huge positive for me. In today’s game, the physical and mental sides are everything, so those are areas I really want to focus on.

Do you take advice from your father Manish Chotrani, who is a former National champion?

We only talk squash; we love the sport way too much. It’s our common language. He only wants me to get better every time I’m training or playing a tournament. All the time we’re just discussing what the next step should be. It’s good to have someone at home who keeps a check on me. He is someone who understands me very well. It’s very good to have that kind of sporting, squash mind… someone who can analyse my game very well. He talks to my coach David Palmer and gets feedback from him. Whenever I’m in Mumbai, I’m with my dad on the court. He’s the one who hits with me all the time.

All eight of your PSA titles have come at the Challenger class. Do you think you need to win Copper, Bronze and bigger World Tour events to improve your ranking further, especially with the Asian Games coming up in September-October?

Yes, all of them have been at the Challenger level, but I also made two finals (St. James Expression Open in Springfield, the USA, and the Indian Open, Mumbai) at the World Tour level this season. Obviously, the goal is to start winning World Tour titles, beginning with Copper events. I don’t think that I’m too far away from that level.

There is intense competition for places in the Indian team for the Asian Games. You are the second highest-ranked men’s player behind Abhay. With the rankings getting updated every week, how difficult is it to maintain your position on the tour?

Honestly, I’m not really thinking about the rankings. I just want to focus on my preparation and game. Ramit Tandon (47) and Velavan Senthilkumar (53) and I are extremely close in the standings, while Abhay (24) is ahead of us. But I believe that on any given day, all four of us are capable of beating each other. So, I’m not really thinking too much about all of that.

India now has four men in the world’s top 60…

To be honest, even before COVID-19, we had a few players in the top 50. Saurav Ghosal was obviously far ahead of everyone at that point. We also had players like Ramit in the top 50. Harinderpal Singh Sandhu, Vikram Malhotra and Mahesh Mangaonkar… all of whom broke into the top 50 at different points of their careers. Maybe it wasn’t as consistent then, but Indian squash has definitely had players capable of reaching that level. Right now, we have a very healthy rivalry among the four of us. Going into the Asian Games, there is a huge opportunity for us to defend our team gold. I genuinely think we have a much stronger team and a much better chance than last time.

Who could be India’s toughest opponents at the Asian Games?

Traditionally, it has been Pakistan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. That has been the case for many years, and I don’t think it will change this year either. Based on world rankings, I think we have the most consistent and solid team. That makes a huge difference in terms of depth. Hopefully, we go into the Games as the No. 1 seeded team. After that, it’s all about delivering on the big stage at the right moment.

In the past, you had balanced playing on the PSA Tour with college squash. How has the transition to professional squash been?

It’s been great. I’ve been playing full-time since September 2024. I’ve been competing regularly and performing well on the PSA Tour, which is the reason for my rise in the rankings. I don’t think there was much pressure on me when I started playing full-time. I planned my schedule well so that I had enough flexibility to train and recover. Physically, it wasn’t too taxing, but mentally, it was tougher because of all the travelling — constantly moving from one country to another, flights, hotels and adapting to different conditions.

But honestly, I had zero pressure because I felt I had nothing to lose. It was my first full season, and my only goal was to play good squash and climb as high as possible in the rankings, especially since I hadn’t played many PSA events before. I also wanted to enjoy the experience — travelling to different countries, competing at different venues, in different atmospheres and in front of different crowds. It was a lovely experience, and the exposure I gained in my first season is something I’ll always cherish.

Of course, there were a lot of learnings as well. Last summer, I worked extremely hard on my physical conditioning, and I could clearly see the improvements this season. I know I need to keep doing that consistently every year, and that’s going to remain a major focus for me going forward.

What is your next objective?

I would love to play in the individual event (singles) at the Asian Games. It is not just about winning an Asian Games gold; there is qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, too. I would love to have a shot at that. I also aim to make it to the Platinum events next season. I need to be in the top 35 in the world to be able to get into those events. I’ll be working towards that; I’m not far away.

Is there one eye on the Los Angeles Olympics?

Winning the singles title at the Asian Games is my major goal. If I win gold, I will clinch an Olympics berth. Nobody knows who will play in the individual events (at the Asian Games) because you have the mixed doubles event as well. But if I get a chance to play singles, it will be a pretty good opportunity.

Dave Cousins. File photo: Special Arrangement.

Valsamma, while reminiscing about the glory days, feels a lot has to be done if the State wants to regain its lost sheen.
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing expat Indians in New York today, said India is trying its best to host the 2036 Olympics. Speaking at the glittering “Modi And US” event at Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum, PM Modi said development is now becoming a “people’s movement” in India.

“Bharat today is a land of opportunities. Bharat doesn’t wait for opportunities… It creates opportunities,” he said, pointing out that over the last 10 years, 25 crore people came out of poverty in a single generation.  The aspiration to host the Olympics is part of this forward-looking policy where the country will “not  stop”.

“Only a few days ago, the Paris Olympics concluded. Very soon, you will witness the Olympics in India too. We are putting in all possible efforts to host the 2036 Olympics,” PM Modi told the expat Indians in his address, held after a glittering cultural event.

Last week, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya had spoken of India’s aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics and finish in the top 10 in the medals tally. Speaking at the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Yuva Connect’ initiative at a college in Pune, the Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister said the aim was to make India among the top five sports nations by 2047.

“In Viksit Bharat, special impetus needs to be given to the sports sector as we aim to develop ourselves in every sector. By 2047, our goal is to be among the top five countries in sports. To achieve this goal and ensure we do not miss the 2047 opportunity, we must create world-class sportspersons,” he said.

India had ended its campaign at the recently concluded Paris Olympics with six medals, including five bronze and a silver.

The kind of bullying and abuse Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has been subjected to makes one thing crystal clear: in the age of social media, misinformation is easiest to amplify when it’s rooted in misogyny, transphobia and racism, and amplified by verified, blue-ticked accounts on X. It has also made it clear that trans-hate will eventually come to haunt all women who do not fit traditional, conservative definitions of femininity.

Now that Imane Khelif has refused to take the online abuse in silence and is suing the key amplifiers – J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk – let’s revisit the brutal online hate campaign unleashed against the Olympic gold medallist, all for being a ‘non-feminine’ woman of colour. 

The Prime Purveyors Of Hate

On August 1, after facing Khelif for a whopping 45-second battle, Italian boxer Angela Carini forfeited the match. Later, she would tell the press, “I have never been punched so hard” and shed tears in front of the camera, as anyone would have in her position. However, seeing a white woman cry on television was, of course, too much to bear for champions of women’s rights like author J. K. Rowling, who has had a history of making transphobic comments. Rowling cried foul on X about a “man” punching a woman and about men’s rights activism having gone too far. Even the owner of X, Elon Musk, could not resist chiming in. It’s another story that Musk’s own views about transgender persons are worth some scrutiny and may be best described by his estranged daughter who he refuses to acknowledge.

The Imane Khelif case underlines a hard but unsurprising truth: we are not as progressive in 2024 as we would like to believe. Sure, there are more people today who are accepting of queer rights, gender equality, and just human rights in general, but in the country called the internet, this population is sparse.

Trans Hate Is Misogyny

When two people with a combined following of over 200 million people put out such derogatory posts against a woman, their legions of followers are bound to spew out the same misinformation, often with vile language. But Rowling and Musk’s comments also fanned the fire of deep-rooted transphobia and misogyny that still burns in all stratas of human classes, races, and nationalities. 

Trans hate is just another catalyst for overall misogyny. Groups abound on Reddit and Facebook where people aligned with the Rowling ideology simply attack any female celebrity they don’t think is “woman enough” and must therefore, be a transsexual or transgender; there is a word for this group too, “transvestigators”.  For example, if you like to lift weights and be muscular, then you are not feminine, and hence make for a perfect target for these ‘tranvestigators’. Like sports? Big cars? Not dainty, petite, blonde, and light-eyed enough? Wear too much makeup as if to hide male appearance? Wear too little makeup because you are a man trying to pass off as a ‘sporty woman’? Well, women who exhibit such traits “aren’t women”, according to tranvestigators. 

Coming back to the hate campaign against Khelif. Soon after her win in Paris and its fallout, conservative-leaning media outlets and social media handles started talking about her 2023 disqualification by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for failing a ‘gender eligibility test’. No matter the fact that the IBA itself was questioned by the Olympics for their ‘methods’ and that there have been accusations of corruption as well. The International Olympic Association (IOC) banned the IBA last year over its governance and finance issues, with the Olympic body allowing the boxing competition to be held in Paris. But alas, this grain of truth was buried deep under the rubble of misinformation that flooded the internet. 

A number of questions have been raised amid this storm. “How can ‘he’ be a woman?”, “IBA must have banned ‘him’ for a reason!”, “XY is a man! Only men have Testosterone!”, “He clearly looks like a man. He is built like a man.” 

Let’s try to answer them. 

Man, Woman, Other?

Khelif’s story is very Dangal-like. Indian audiences, if they read her full interview with UNICEF, may relate to the story of a young girl joining a sport that’s dominated by men. But unlike Dangal, she did not have a father ready to fight the world. She fought mostly alone in her childhood, while her family battled poverty to feed their children and sustain the family.

There’s also the fact that Algeria is a deeply religious Islamic country, where being trans may invite a host of legal challenges. If any of the ‘tranvestigators’ like Rowling or Musk followers had bothered to do a simple Google search, they would know Algeria would probably never send a ‘trans’ person to represent their country in the Olympics.  

XX or XY?

Doesn’t matter, honestly. Anyone who has studied genetics and chromosomes can answer this: the set of chromosomes that define sex (not gender) are named so based on their shape. Zoya Fatima, a teacher at Jamia Senior Secondary School, explains that women have two chromosomes shaped like ‘X’, while in men, one of them is shaped like a ‘Y’. “Genetic mutation can cause a foetus with XX to have a Y-shaped chromosome,” she explains, “They can have all female genitalia, even uterus in some cases, but ovaries in almost all cases are non-functional. But they can be mothers via IVF and have normal pregnancies. So it is incorrect to say that all XY automatically classify as male and man.”

If we were to go by the definitions recommended by conservative social media, then millions of women would immediately lose their right to be called a woman for having elevated testosterone levels. While testosterone is considered the ‘male hormone’, women produce it too – many with hormonal disorders, such as PCOS, tend to produce too much of it. Will these conditions void a woman’s right to be called a ‘woman’? 

If we consider science for our definitions, the majority of women with XY or XXY or XXYY chromosomal structures have one common denominator: a non-functional ovary. So that begs the question, is a perfectly functional ovary fundamental for being classified as a ‘woman’? If yes, what about a few thousand women who have ovarian insufficiency? Will they cease to be known as women? 

The Question Of Race

Women of colour who don’t fit conservative definitions of femininity have always had it worse. Barely a day before her match, Khelif’s Hungarian opponent, Luca Hamori, posted an incendiary picture on Instagram that showed Khelif as a ‘beast’. For centuries now, Black women have been mocked for their ‘masculinity’. Not too far in India itself, sprinter Duttee Chand had been on the receiving end of primitive gender tests. “In 2014, I challenged the IOC’s rule that a person with a higher testosterone level should not participate in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. It was noted that hormonal levels cannot increase athletic performance. I suffered a lot at that time. I faced a lot of controversy regarding my gender,” Chand told PTI after the Imane Khelif controversy erupted.

The abuse and attacks Imane Khelif has faced online will be remembered for years to come. The key takeaway is this: misinformation driven by racist, misogynist ideologies often travels much, much faster than the truth. 

(Anwiti Singh is Assistant Producer, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author