Gender identification in sports:

This is not just a purely technical story, but also shows that the regulations on gender identification in international sports are becoming increasingly strict. Therefore, Vietnamese sports cannot stay out of the game.

Vietnamese athletics will have to adapt to the World Athletics Federation's regulations on female gender. *Photo: Nguyen Van*

The trend is irreversible.

For many years, the world of sports has been the scene of heated debates surrounding gender identity. Cases of athletes with different gender development or transgender have caused much controversy, especially in sports such as athletics, boxing, volleyball...

Prior to 2023, World Athletics (WA) applied a testosterone threshold to classify athletes eligible to compete in some female events. By March 2023, WA will expand this rule to all events, and at the same time, it will not allow transgender female athletes - who have gone through male puberty - to participate in international competitions.

And from September 1, 2025, WA officially applies a mandatory regulation: All female athletes participating in world-ranked tournaments must undergo the SRY gene test. This is a test that only needs to be performed once in a career, to determine the presence of the Y gene - a key factor in determining male gender development. If the SRY result is positive, the athlete will not be allowed to compete in the female category, unless they pass a strict medical evaluation process.

This new regulation is considered a step forward in the effort to standardize and make transparent the determination of gender in sports, in order to reduce controversy and protect fairness for female athletes. Not only athletics, many other sports such as swimming, cycling, boxing, rugby... have also issued strict regulations related to the determination of gender of female athletes.

In response to these changes, the Vietnam Athletics Federation and the Athletics Department (Vietnam Sports Administration) have confirmed that they will conduct SRY gene testing on a number of athletes in the national team. In August, at least two female athletes in the national team had to undergo gender testing before being registered to participate in the 33rd SEA Games, which will take place in Thailand this December.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Nguyen - in charge of the Athletics Department (Vietnam Sports Administration) - emphasized: "The cost of SRY gene testing is not high, about 1.2 million VND for each sample. We need to strictly follow the regulations to avoid problems or complaints related to the gender of female athletes when participating in the 33rd SEA Games".

Previously, in preparation for the 2025 World Athletics Championships - taking place this September in Tokyo (Japan) - a number of Vietnamese athletes also completed genetic testing and received valid results.

Not only athletics, the issue of gender in competition has also begun to "knock on the door" of Vietnamese volleyball, although the relevant parties have not made specific statements to ensure maximum privacy for athletes. Some notable developments such as the Vietnam U21 women's team not having the results of some group stage matches of the 2025 U21 World Championship recognized, or the main striker Nguyen Bich Tuyen suddenly leaving the national team before the 2025 World Championship, have all sparked speculation. Although the official reason has not been announced, it is clear that this is a reminder for teams to proactively prepare early to avoid unwanted incidents.

Change from the selection stage

Sports doctor Pham Manh Hung - who has been involved with national teams for decades - analyzed: "Investing in gender identification in selection is necessary, not only to comply with international regulations but also to protect the athletes themselves. If we wait until international competitions to have a controversy, both the athletes' careers and the team's reputation will be seriously affected. We need to change our mindset, from focusing only on achievements to building a standard selection system, including medical and genetic testing."

Having participated in the selection of many generations of athletes in Hanoi, Dr. Hung also shared that in the past, the selection was largely based on experience, senses and observation of appearance, especially in the case of female athletes with masculine appearances. However, at that time, there was no specific scientific basis because the cost of medical and genetic testing was quite high - it could be up to tens of millions of VND more than ten years ago. On the other hand, international regulations at that time were not as strict as they are today.

According to Dr. Hung, the current cost of SRY gene testing is not too large compared to the total training budget for an athlete, but it plays a key role. This helps with early screening, ensures fairness in competition and especially avoids mental trauma for athletes when caught up in unnecessary gender controversies.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Nam - Head of the Athletics Department (Hanoi Sports Training and Competition Center, under the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports) - also agreed: "With the new regulations on gender determination of the World Athletics Federation, the athlete selection team from the grassroots level must increase their responsibility, and cannot continue to rely on experience or luck."

Experts say that the Vietnamese sports industry needs to quickly standardize the athlete selection process. In particular, it is necessary to include SRY gene testing and other medical tests in the screening system. At the same time, it is necessary to build a team of professional and psychological consultants to accompany athletes in special cases. The Doping and Sports Medicine Center also needs to play a clearer role in this work.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/xac-dinh-gioi-tinh-trong-the-thao-chuyen-te-nhi-nhung-khong-the-ne-tranh-715428.html