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Kerala to organise sports meet for transgenders

  • The meet will be held on April 28
  • At least 20 transgenders from each district are expected to attend the event
  • Transgenders are not allowed to compete in international events without undergoing sex reassignment surgery

 

 

 

Kerala to organise sports meet for transgenders

Kerala, the first state to bring out Transgender Policy, is setting another example by hosting country's first ever Transgender Athletic Meet. The event will be held at Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on April 28. 
 

The meet will be held in a single day and will have six events: 100m, 200m, 4X100m relay, 400m sprints, long jump and shot put. 
 

At least 20 transgender persons from each district are expected to attend the event. Each person can take part in a maximum of three events, apart from the relay. The district sports council will provide pre-meet training to athletes in the area from April 19, Sports and Youth Affairs director Sanjayan Kumar said. 
 

"We have informed the Chief Minister about the event and informed him that the transgenders are not allowed to take part in any event held in the country," said Chilla Anil, a leading Transgender activist. 
 

"It was after this meeting that the Chief Minister held discussions with Sports Council and some leading sports figures and then decided to conduct a meet. The event aims to test the waters and provide an idea on how to conduct sports events for the community in future," Anil said. 
 

The organisers expect that the event will throw up fresh talents. "A Transgender does not have an opportunity to express their talent. We have several talented persons like Sreekutty, who has participated in school meets," Anil said. Sreekutty, during her school days, had competed in boy's category. 
 

The Transgender community is seeking an exclusive event for them, but as per the guidelines of International Olympic Committee, athletes belonging to the community should not be allowed to compete in international events without undergoing sex reassignment surgery. 
 

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