JPBA back former female world champion's hope to fight as man
Over the last few years athletes transitioning from male to female has been a major talking point, with the likes of Lia Thomas, Fallon Fox, Kelly Morgan, Emily Bridges and Laurel Hubbard all getting notable press coverage, and we've also seen that amplified by notable voices outside of sport, such as author J.K. Rowling.
One thing we've seen a lot less frequently are athletes transitioning from female to male. There has been cases, but they have certainly been a lot less notable, and a lot less controversial.
Today the Japan Professional Boxing Association (JPBA) held an online press conference after their regular board meeting to announce that they would be supporting LGBT fighters in the sport, and would be happy to allow former WBC female Flyweight champion Shindo Go (16-4, 11) a license, as long as Go passes a pro-test as a man.
Go, who retired from the sport as a female in 2017, under went gender realignment surgery that same year, and began living as a man, named Hiroshi Hashimoto.
The fighter had long spoke about gender identity disorder and mentioned about feeling they were born into the wrong body as a child.
Although the decision from the JPBA doesn't mean Go will get a license as a man, they have decided to petition to the JBC to allow fighters who have transitioned to get licenses.
In this particular case, Go has been training at the Green Tsuda gym, and Masato Yamashita has watched some of the training and sparring with men. Not only that, but Yamashita has apparently been impressed and seen Go holding their own against male partners.
Aside from the transgender issue, the press conference also saw the East Japan Boxing Association announce their new line up of leading officials. This has seen Celes Kobayashi sit as the chairman of the East Japan Association for the first time and being joined by, Haruki Sato of Northern Japan, Nobuo Higashi of Central Japan, Masato Yamashita of West Japan, and Nobuaki Hiranaka of Western Japan, who have been appointed as vice-chairpersons. The secretary general has been decided to be Tatsuya Saida, the current chairman of the World Sports Boxing Gym.
One thing we've seen a lot less frequently are athletes transitioning from female to male. There has been cases, but they have certainly been a lot less notable, and a lot less controversial.
Today the Japan Professional Boxing Association (JPBA) held an online press conference after their regular board meeting to announce that they would be supporting LGBT fighters in the sport, and would be happy to allow former WBC female Flyweight champion Shindo Go (16-4, 11) a license, as long as Go passes a pro-test as a man.
Go, who retired from the sport as a female in 2017, under went gender realignment surgery that same year, and began living as a man, named Hiroshi Hashimoto.
The fighter had long spoke about gender identity disorder and mentioned about feeling they were born into the wrong body as a child.
Although the decision from the JPBA doesn't mean Go will get a license as a man, they have decided to petition to the JBC to allow fighters who have transitioned to get licenses.
In this particular case, Go has been training at the Green Tsuda gym, and Masato Yamashita has watched some of the training and sparring with men. Not only that, but Yamashita has apparently been impressed and seen Go holding their own against male partners.
Aside from the transgender issue, the press conference also saw the East Japan Boxing Association announce their new line up of leading officials. This has seen Celes Kobayashi sit as the chairman of the East Japan Association for the first time and being joined by, Haruki Sato of Northern Japan, Nobuo Higashi of Central Japan, Masato Yamashita of West Japan, and Nobuaki Hiranaka of Western Japan, who have been appointed as vice-chairpersons. The secretary general has been decided to be Tatsuya Saida, the current chairman of the World Sports Boxing Gym.