Barbra Banda

Ok I know not the subject of this post kid I just google Caster. I vaguely remembered hearing about it at the time but didn't know any details.

Who the hell approved them as female?

From the Wikipedia page:

'Semenya is an intersex woman,[8] with 5α-Reductase 2 deficiency,[9] assigned female at birth,[10] with XY chromosomes and natural heterogametic testosterone level.'

XY. Make chromosomes.

Then from the wiki page on the disorder:

'The condition is rare, affects only genetic males, and has a broad spectrum.'

worth a look, but I don't think that BB is that good. the standard of individual players in top women's international football (not the overall game, which at its best can be a superb spectacle) is probably, what, like really good men's school or university football, that sort of thing roughly. hard to compare full time pro players with part timers. BB is probably just at about that standard, like a good male amateur player. will probably score a couple but won't be able to drag an otherwise poor team (which I read hasn't been paid since the Tokyo Olympics :( ) all the way.

Usually profit comes before ideology for businesses, especially bookmakers, however I am not convinced that they have correctly priced the Banda factor into their odds. Perhaps the volumes on women's football are still tiny enough that they would rather eat small losses than model the forbidden truth.

Of course, a team relying on "the big lad up front" isn't guaranteed to dominate, even against smaller, slower female defenders, if the rest of the team behind him are not great. There is 1000/1 available on Zambia to win the whole thing though, if you do fancy a tiny chance of making a huge TERF point and massive profit.

However some of the more realistic odds are also surprisingly generous considering IT'S A MAN! I am sticking a couple of quid on Zambia to be eliminated at the Quarter Final stage since the value bet at 100/1 has to be worth it. If they manage to beat Japan on Saturday (also tempting odds of 19/2) they are likely to get out of the group (available at 15/2) behind troubled but still strong Spain, and then face New Zealand, Switzerland, or a relatively poor Norway. They would then most likely play the USA in the QF, which would hopefully be the end of the farce.

Even if realistically the weakness of the rest of their team does lead to them being eliminated at the group stage, some of the individual goalscoring odds on Banda are suspiciously good. Against Japan there is 17/2 for first goalscorer and 9/4 for anytime, which seems slightly mad. Against Spain I probably won't touch it, since they will largely be able to keep the ball away from him, but when the Costa Rica odds come out I will also be taking a look to see if the delusion persists and can be gamed for fun and profit.

A lot of people covering their ears and going "nah nah nah who cares?"
All women should care about this cheating.

that's exactly right, it'd be accurate to say that CS was assigned female at birth, as it turned out incorrectly, and outside of sport has always appeared to identify as male.

The reference to him being ’born and raised female…’ should be changed. At no point was he ever female.

Many thanks for the link MattDamon. Good article and as you say, great to see the reference to CS as "genetically male".

Excellent.
@pues
I agree. Sunlight.

*Caster

Telegraph covering it: https://archive.li/26Azz

As a side note, brilliant to see a mainstream news source referring to Castor as 'genetically male'.

We must keep this in the public eye.

Sorry- he played for a Spanish team before moving to China where he won the golden boot for top scorer.
Two goals against Germany recently...

Link? Banda was in talks with Real Madrid last year but they bailed due to questions about 'her' sex.

well, it's possible. in one of the olympics games, zambia lost 10-3 to netherlands, the zambian 3 being scored by guess who? it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that he could be the deciding factor in an otherwise tight game. maybe against japan or costa rica?

And Zambia are in a group with Spain Japan and Costa Rica so that will be interesting. One player ( or maybe 2 or 3) can really influence a game (especially if they're male)

Banda has just signed a professional contract in Spain so he must be highly rated. Why aren't our women players picking up on this cheating?

"it's not great, but there's a significant difference between isolated male player[s] within the squad of an also-ran nation and the very most egregious examples, notably say the 800m in the Brazil olympics"

No, it's not good enough whenever and wherever it happens.

All women matter and all women's sport matters.

Thanks, that makes sense.

What is weird is that the video has been included in the Banda article.

Maybe Renard was mistaken for Banda? Although the fact that it is the French not Zambian team should have been a clue.

Don't get me wrong, it's not great, but there's a significant difference between isolated male player[s] within the squad of an also-ran nation and the very most egregious examples, notably say the 800m in the Brazil olympics, with an entire podium, all three medals, cleaned up by male athletes, in a sport where the countries in question were sending one competitor each.

@puffyisgood
It's up to the powers-that-be to do proper sex testing and be unflinchingly fair and make sure that only women are in women's sport,

I agree. I'm trying to understand how that squares with you shrugging at males being in a female sports team.

OK, I accept that Zambia's route to WWC qualification was not affected by having males in the team.

But they beat Germany - a top European side - with Banda playing a significant part. Banda is their best player and is likely, along with the other three male players, to be influential in their games. None of them should be eligible and it's a disgrace that Fifa allow it. I can't understand why you don't see the unfairness. Do you have any interest in sport?

fwiw i think the player in that still is probably their captain Wendie Renard, it's just an unflattering shot.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB1033GB1033&sxsrf=AB5stBi8HC-gyCe3qfq0OIF_4pvJG6TeMw:1689762495387&q=wendie+renard&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjHrKrqx5qAAxWU1gIHHQeEDm8Q0pQJegQIDRAB&biw=1280&bih=571&dpr=1.5

@Bosky - you mean the player in the middle of that video still? I know what you mean, but I wouldn't want to get into that at all - some women, real women, are very tall, have high hairlines, aren't conventionally 'feminine' in terms of their faces or physique, etc... e.g. in athletics Maria Mutola competed in an era when sex testing was standard and didn't look at all conventionally feminine... It's up to the powers-that-be to do proper sex testing and be unflinchingly fair and make sure that only women are in women's sport, it's not for us to engage in speculation.

What is going on with that video embedded in the Daily Mail article?

Women's World Cup striker who shot Zambia to shock win over Germany is told she CAN play in Australia - despite failing a 'gender eligibility test' - because FIFA let teams do their own investigations

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12282149/Zambia-striker-told-play-Womens-World-Cup-despite-failing-gender-eligibility-test.html

Video title
"France train for opener game in the Women's World Cup against Jamaica"

Screenshot of video thumbnail attached.

There is no mention of France in the article.

The same video on YouTube - the thumbnail is taken from 61 seconds in - starts here:

France train as Jamaica World Cup opener looms | 2023 Women's World Cup

Video Description:

16 Jul 2023
France trained in Glenwood, Australia on Sunday ahead of their opening game of the Women’s World Cup against Jamaica.

The team's preparations have received another injury blow, with defender Selma Bacha leaving the pitch in tears and on a stretcher in the final minutes of a warm-up game against Australia.

It's not the first big loss for 'Les Bleues', as forwards Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto were recently ruled out of the tournament through injury.

Currently fifth in the FIFA world rankings, Herve Renard's side will begin their Group F fixtures with a game against Jamaica at Sydney Football Stadium on 23rd July.

France will then play against South American champions Brazil on 29th July before facing Women's World Cup debutants Panama on 2nd August.

DO NOT copy and re-upload any part of this video anywhere otherwise copyright strikes will be made! You do not have my permission
--

Presumably the Daily Mail did not read the last line of the video description?

sorry, African cup of Nations, obviously