Parents of Indian Athlete Accused of Being Transgender Defend their Daughter’s Womanhood Against Rival’s Envious Accusations of Losing Podium Spot

The parents of an athlete accused of being transgender have insisted she is “100% female” – and say claims she is not are driven by a jealous rival.

Nandini Agasara, a 20-year-old professional athlete, won a bronze medal for India at this year’s Asian Games in the women’s heptathlon earlier this week after scoring 5712 points in the grueling event, sparking a huge controversy over his sex.

Her victory was spoiled by a rival, Swapna Barman, 26, who also competed for India but narrowly missed the podium spot while apparently accusing Nandini of being transgender in a social media post now deleted.

Barman, who won gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, said in his post on in Hangzhou, China.”

Nandini Agasara (pictured) from India said she doesn’t “focus too much” on the allegations despite her parents claiming she is “100% female”.

Nandini’s parents slammed the allegations and said anyone who questions her gender is ‘talking nonsense’ (Nandini, pictured with her parents)

The allegation once again put the spotlight on the issue of transgender athletes, with Nandini’s proud parents calling it a “lie” while claiming she was born female and remained that way throughout. throughout his life.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, her father Yallappa, 40, said: ‘I don’t understand why anyone would say Nandini is transgender. She’s 100% female, and that’s it. Anyone who questions their gender is talking nonsense.

“We are very proud of her sporting achievements and this allegation is simply about jealousy of her rivals. We are only focusing on the positive and celebrating her medal. We are very proud of our daughter and what she has achieved.

Nandini’s mother, Ayyamma, 35, is furious: “We don’t have time to talk such nonsense about Nandini being transgender. I don’t understand why people say such things. What she has accomplished is enormous, and we are solely focused on that.

“It’s very sad that people say such things because life for all of us has been a struggle and this allegation ignores that.”

Mr Agasara claimed that Nandini, 20, had inherited her muscular physique from him and that she was also physically strong due to her family’s poor background, which had forced her to work since she was a child to help them make ends meet.

He runs a tea shop in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad and earns around £120 a month. His wife works as a cleaner and earns around £300 a month.

Nandini’s father claimed that the 20-year-old inherited her muscular physique from him and said she was physically strong due to the family’s poor background.

The couple lives in a small one-bedroom house in a poor part of town with Nandini and her two brothers.

Mr Agasara said: “We come from a very poor family and life has always been very hard for us. Since she was a child, Nandini has worked alongside her mother as a housekeeper, lifting heavy objects, washing clothes and doing a lot of physical labor. It made her big and strong.

“I’m also quite muscular and tall and she inherited those genes from me.” But she is still a woman, she looks like a woman and the world knows she is a woman.

Nandini returned home to Hyderabad from China on Tuesday, where a party was held in her honor with her friends and family placing garlands around her and treating the athlete to a specially baked cake.

She told MailOnline: ‘You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. You should not judge a person by their appearance.

“I played with dolls when I was little and I wear saris and other traditional Indian women’s clothing when I attend weddings or religious occasions. I’m tall and strong compared to a lot of women but that’s because of all the physical work I’ve had to do throughout my life to help my family.

“When poor people achieve something, there is always a lot of jealousy and someone tries to drag you down. That’s the point of this claim, but I don’t focus too much on it.

Nandini’s mother said the rumors had cast a shadow over Nandini’s sporting achievements and said she was focused on celebrating her.

Nandini claimed that her muscular physique did not make her “less of a woman” and said that people should not be judged based on their appearance.

Recalling her poor childhood, Nandini says, “I used to go to bed hungry and we would go two or three days without eating. People don’t realize the struggles our whole family went through.

“I come from nothing and winning a medal at a major international sporting event is no easy feat.”

Nandini revealed that although she trained as a professional athlete, she still worked alongside her mother as a housekeeper and that this would continue despite her national fame in India following her podium finish.

She added: “My mum and dad have been working since I was 10 and I inherited my hard work ethic from them. Just because I have a bronze medal now doesn’t mean that will change.

“When you have lived my life and had to do a lot of physical labor because of poverty, it makes you big and strong. This doesn’t mean you’re any less of a woman.

Despite the furor, Asagara’s victory was celebrated by major figures, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “India celebrates Nandini Agasara’s phenomenal bronze medal in the women’s heptathlon 800m event.

“She is an absolute champion, embodying sportsmanship and excellence. Congratulations to her and good luck for the endeavors to come.

Nandini took up athletics relatively late after being spotted by a local sports coach at the age of 14 and later won a scholarship to a school where she was able to combine academic studies and training.

The bronze medal at the Asian Games is his second international medal, after winning a silver in the 100m hurdles at the World U20 Athletics Championships in 2022.

Nandini’s father claimed that the 20-year-old inherited her muscular physique from him and said she was physically strong due to the family’s poor background.

Nandini told MailOnline that she is tall and strong because of the hard work she had to do to help her family over the years.

She has also won several national medals in India, winning two silver medals in two years, once in the 100m hurdles at the 2022 All India Open National Athletics Championships and the Senior Inter-State National Athletics Championships. in 2021.

The furious row comes amid a global backlash against transgender athletes, as governing bodies around the world ban them from competing under the gender with which they identify.

Earlier this year, transgender women were banned from competing in the women’s category at international athletics events.

The decision was made by World Athletics in order to “prioritize the fairness and integrity of the women’s competition before its inclusion”.

Regarding the new rules for transgender participation, Sebastian Coe, president of the governing body, said: “The World Athletics Council has taken decisive action to protect the women’s category in our sport.

“The decision taken by the council is above all a decision based on principles, namely the primordial need to protect the female category.” This is what our sport is there for.

Athletics is not the only sport to ban transgender women from competing in women’s events: in July, cycling’s world governing body banned them from competing in international events.

The International Cyclist Union’s previous policy allowed trans women to compete in women’s races if they had testosterone levels below 2.5 nanomoles per liter.

But the policy came under fire after American cyclist Austin Killips won the Tour de Gila by five minutes over the runner-up.