Megan Rapinoe defends Barbra Banda with soccer star embroiled in gender row after JK Rowling attack

Former United States women's skipper Megan Rapinoe has leapt to the defence of Barbra Banda amid fierce contention surrounding the Zambia shot player's gender.

Banda, 24, is the latest women's sports prima facing questions implicit her sex aft she was crowned BBC Women's Footballer of the Year implicit successful the UK this week, a determination which sparked outrage fixed she was near retired of Zambia's Africa Cup of Nations squad successful 2022 connected 'gender eligibility grounds'.

It is believed team bosses became alert that the striker's 'testosterone levels' were higher than those permitted by the Confederation of African Football, meaning she was excluded from her country's squad astatine the large planetary tournament.

However, aft precocious helping OIrlando Pride triumph the NWSL championship, and scoring 4 goals astatine the Paris Olympics with Zambia implicit the summer, the BBC named Banda arsenic its apical women's shot prima for 2024 earlier this week.

Her triumph has been criticized by definite women's rights groups and members of the shot assemblage aft her exclusion from AFCON 2 years ago, yet Rapinoe has travel retired successful enactment of the Orlando guardant and congratulated her connected winning the award.

In a station connected her Instagram story, the World Cup victor shared a photograph of Banda with the NWSL trophy and wrote: 'You've thrilled, entertained and inspired us, and the world, each twelvemonth long. This is truthful deserved arsenic is each spot of your success. You basal truthful overmuch taller than the tiny radical trying to teardrop you down. 

'Proud arsenic hellhole that you're a womens footballer, pushing the games to caller heights. We emotion you Babs'.

Rapinoe besides added: 'and to each the hateful small radical retired determination hatred hate hatin, HOP TF OFF, yall are sad.'

Banda's grant triumph has proved highly controversial, with writer JK Rowling 1 of galore to deed retired astatine the BBC's determination connected societal media.

Rowling shared a station connected X reporting that Banda had scooped the women's shot prize and wrote: 'Presumably the BBC decided this was much clip businesslike than going doorway to doorway to spit straight successful women's faces.'

The latest sex quality comes aft a turbulent summertime involving women's boxer Imane Khelif, who was accused of being a biologic antheral portion storming her mode to a golden medal successful the welterweight class astatine this summer's Olympics.

The contention came aft Khelif was disqualified from the World Championships successful 2023 by the International Boxing Associations (IBA) aft it was claimed that she failed a sex eligibility test. 

However, the Algerian insisted she was a pistillate and her begetter adjacent produced her commencement certificate which said she was calved female.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) repeatedly defended her close to vie passim the games, portion the IBA's trial results and credibility were besides called into question.

Earlier this month, a study successful French mag Le Correspondant - which is yet to beryllium confirmed arsenic morganatic - alleged that Khelif has 'male characteristics' and XY chromosomes, thing she has repeatedly denied.

Appearing connected Italian TV soon aft it was released, the Olympic champion attacked the writer who leaked that unverified aesculapian study and promised to instrumentality them to court.