Nenshi rejects Olympic ban on biological males in female sports

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi dismissed the idea of applying the Olympic's sex-based protections to girls' sports in Alberta, calling it “ridiculous.”

Author: Cosmin Dzsurdzsa

A day after the International Olympic Committee banned biological males from competing in women’s sports events, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi rejected applying the international sports organization’s standards to Alberta.

While speaking to reporters on Friday, Nenshi dismissed the idea of applying sex-based protections to youth athletics, calling it “ridiculous” to require biological verification for girls’ teams at the local level.

The IOC announced this week that only biological females will be eligible to compete in women’s Olympic categories, citing clear scientific evidence that male biology can confer advantages in strength, endurance and speed. The committee also warned that in some sports, allowing biological males to compete against women “would not be safe.”

Nenshi said this doesn’t apply to youth sports where young girls are forced to compete against biological males, calling it a “tiny edge case.”

“We’ve always said that for this tiny, tiny edge case, which involves very few people performing at super high levels of athleticism, it makes sense for national and international sports organizations to make those decisions, not the province of Alberta,” said Nenshi.

“A 13-year-old girl who wants to play on a soccer team shouldn’t be told that every girl, but not the boys, has to attest to their biological sex. That’s ridiculous. And whatever the IOC does has absolutely nothing to do with a 13-year-old girl who just wants to play soccer.”

He argued that while decisions about eligibility are left to elite organizations like the International Olympic Committee, provincial governments shouldn’t follow in the footsteps of experts.

Nenshi’s comments come as broader bans are now being reinforced globally, with national and local organizations recognizing that biological differences matter in sport at all levels not just among Olympic athletes.

His comments also sidestep growing public concern over fairness for female athletes, particularly as more governing bodies adopt stricter biological definitions. For many advocates, the issue is not about excluding individuals, but about maintaining a level playing field for women and girls.