Paris Olympics: Speculations Roar Over Abha Khatua Losing India Spot Due to Hormone Regulation

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The omission of Abha Khatua, the national record holder in women’s shot put, from the Paris Olympics 2024 has been a major talking point recently. The 29-year-old athlete, who set a national record of 18.41m in May at the Federation Cup, was expected to represent India after qualifying through world rankings.,

She finished 21st on the Road to Paris 24 list but her name was conspicuously absent from the final entry list released by World Athletics (WA) and subsequently by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Possible DSD Regulation Non-Compliance

While World Athletics has been keeping a mum on the matter, saying they have a long-standing policy of not giving a statement on the non-selection of individual players, Times of India reported that the athletics governing body may have blocked her entry due to non-compliance with the Differences of Sex Development (DSD) regulations.

For the novice, the DSD regulations are a set of rules aimed at regulating the participation of athletes with high levels of testosterone in female events.

Although there has been no official confirmation from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), insiders have hinted that Khatua's exclusion came as a last-minute shock, even prompting the federation to recall her from Spala, Poland, where she was training with other Indian athletes in preparation for the Games.

"It is more or less clear that she has not failed a dope test. The most likely reason for Khatua's exit just days before the start of the Olympic Games could be because she failed to meet WA's DSD regulation," an AFI official told TOI.

This unexpected turn of events has drawn parallels with the high-profile cases of South African middle-distance runner Caster Semenya and India's own Dutee Chand. Both athletes have been embroiled in long-standing battles over the DSD regulations, which they argue unfairly target women with naturally higher testosterone levels.

Controversy and Criticism

However, the implementation of these regulations has been fraught with controversy. Critics argue that they are inherently discriminatory and that testosterone levels are just one of many factors that contribute to athletic performance.

They liken the situation to banning a basketball player for being too tall. For athletes like Khatua, the regulations pose a significant hurdle as high testosterone levels are a natural biological trait over which they have no control.

Recalling Khatua's stellar performance this year, it is evident that her absence from the Olympics is a significant blow to India's medal prospects. Her national record throw of 18.41m at the Federation Cup in May was a testament to her prowess and dedication to the sport.

Despite qualifying by world rankings and being included in the initial list by the AFI, the last-minute revelation about her non-compliance with the DSD regulations has dashed her Olympic dreams.

Testing and Implications

Experts suggest that Khatua’s blood samples might have been collected by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) officials during the Asian Championships in Bangkok last year and again during the Inter-State meet in Panchkula recently. These tests could have revealed testosterone levels above the permissible limits, leading to her disqualification under the DSD regulations

Understanding DSD as per World Athletics

World Athletics has adopted these Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification (Athletes with Differences of Sex Development) (the “DSD Regulations”) to facilitate the participation of athletes with Differences in Sex Development in the sport of Athletics in accordance with the following imperatives:

"World Athletics wants to give equal opportunities to all athletes to participate in and excel at the sport and to provide them with fair and meaningful competition conditions so that they are motivated to make the huge commitment and sacrifice required to excel in the sport and so inspire new generations to join the sport and aspire to the same excellence."

"The substantial sex difference in sports performance that emerges from puberty onwards means that the only way to achieve the objectives set out above is to maintain separate classifications (competition categories) for male and female athletes. That difference is due to the physical advantages conferred on male athletes by the testes producing much higher levels of circulating testosterone than ovaries produce from puberty onwards in female athletes."

"However, some individuals have congenital conditions that cause atypical sex development (known as “Differences of Sex Development” or “DSDs”). In certain cases, this may lead to an individual being assigned at birth a legal sex of female and/or having a female gender identity notwithstanding that the individual has fully functioning (internal) testes rather than ovaries."

"World Athletics recognizes that individuals with DSDs may wish to compete in Athletics in a classification consistent with their legal sex/gender identity. World Athletics respects the dignity of all individuals, including individuals with DSDs.

"It also wishes the sport of Athletics to be as inclusive as possible and to encourage and provide a clear path to participation in the sport for all. It therefore seeks to place conditions on such participation only to the extent necessary to deliver fair and meaningful competition conditions at the elite level of the sport.

"These DSD Regulations exist solely to achieve the objectives set out above. In no way are they intended as any kind of judgment on or questioning of the sex or the gender identity of any athlete. On the contrary, the dignity and privacy of athletes with DSDs must be respected and preserved, and therefore all cases arising under these DSD Regulations must be handled and resolved in a confidential manner recognizing the sensitive nature of such matters."