Basketball Australia Rules Transgender Athlete Lexi Rodgers As 'Ineligible' To Play

Lexi Rodgers, a transgender player, was barred from competing in the Australian Women's Basketball League. Basketball Australia summoned a panel of experts to look into the situation, including its chief medical officer Peter Harcourt, board member Suzy Batkovic, and a sports and fitness physician, and the group ruled Rodgers ineligible.

A transgender athlete was forbidden from competing in an Australian women's competition on Tuesday, with the sport's governing body admitting it was a "difficult area to negotiate."

Lexi Rodgers had applied to play for the Kilsyth Cobras in a lower-tier Victorian league, creating controversy about whether a biologically male person should be permitted to compete against women.

Basketball Association cited," Transgender basketball player Lexi Rodgers is ineligible to compete at the elite level"

Basketball Australia summoned a panel of experts to look into the situation, including its chief medical officer Peter Harcourt, board member Suzy Batkovic, and a sports and fitness physician, and the group ruled Rodgers ineligible.

"As the governing body, we recognise that we are still on a path of education and comprehension," Basketball Australia issued a comment on the matter. "Lexi will provide feedback and recommendations from her experiences to help us develop our framework. The balance of inclusivity, fairness, and the competitive character of sport will always be a difficult one to strike, and we applaud everybody participating for their integrity and respect throughout the process."

It further stated that the eligibility of trans athletes was determined on a case-by-case basis.

"One of my greatest passions in life is basketball" says Lexi Rodgers

Rodgers expressed her sadness at the outcome and thanked those who had supported her. "I truly feel I have a place as an athlete in women's basketball," she stated on Instagram, echoing the sentiments of many others. "I hope Basketball Australia recognises that this is not the end of my path as an athlete and that it must not pass up future opportunities to demonstrate its ideals," she concluded. "I am concerned about the message this judgement may send to trans and gender-diverse persons globally."

Rodgers inquired about joining Kilsyth before Christmas and was apparently asked to tryouts prior to an eligibility examination, as required by Basketball Victoria.

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