It became clear when the International Football Association (FIFA) announced the WC squads on Tuesday this week. There it is written in black and white that national team captain Barbra Banda is part of the Zambia squad, despite the controversies the 23-year-old super striker was involved in during the African Championship last summer. WC READY: Banda is officially part of Zambia’s WC squad. Photo: FIFA Banda, who is top scorer in the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shengli, has himself posted a photo from the airport in New Zealand. There she smiles broadly and comes with the following message: – Our focus is to show young girls that football is unifying, that football wins, and that football gives hope. Did not pass gender test But Banda’s presence is not equally popular with everyone. The background is as follows: Exactly one year ago, the goal guarantor was denied national team play when Zambia secured a slightly sensational bronze medal during the African Championship in Morocco. The 23-year-old, who made Olympic history in 2021 by scoring a hat trick in two matches in a row, did not pass the gender test that all players had to pass. The conclusion was that she had too high a testosterone level to participate, unless she started medical treatment to lower the level. – Such gender testing procedures are clear violations of human rights, as they are stigmatizing, stereotypical and discriminatory, Human Rights Watch wrote on its pages when the whole thing happened. According to The Athletic, Banda has a naturally high testosterone level, just like the much talked about athlete Caster Semenya. Absolute testosterone limits are debated, as some women have naturally high levels. – It has proven to be very difficult to set a clear limit for participation in the women’s class, and this is a major challenge for top sports internationally, Håvard B. Øvregård, senior adviser for value work at the Norwegian Sports Confederation, previously explained to news. German newspaper: – Extremely controversial The exclusion of Banda made international headlines, and many took to the keyboard to directly criticize Banda – Africa’s highest-scoring player in Olympic history. Comments such as “you look like a boy” and “you are a boy” rained down on social media. The main character herself has stated that she tries to spare herself negative comments and gossip, because she is afraid that it could destroy the concentration she needs to develop as a football player. WC-READY: Goal machine Barbra Banda. Photo: Jiang Wenyao / XINHUA� And there are many indications that she has been lucky. Last Friday, Banda stole the headlines for sporting reasons, when she scored two goals in Zambia’s 3-2 victory in a World Cup warm-up match against gold candidate Germany. The match-winning goal was of a very beautiful kind, and Banda was beaming after the match. – This is a dream that is coming true. We know that Germany is not just anyone, she said after the shock winner. The German press is far from as pleased after the shelling. Banda has the main role in all reports, and in the major German newspaper Bild she is referred to as “extremely controversial”. – The World Cup participants assure that they carry out their own investigations, and that they clearly show that their players are women, Fifa responds to Bild’s inquiry about Banda’s World Cup participation. PS: Zambia is in a group with Spain, Japan and Costa Rica during the WC this summer. The championship will be shown on news from 20 July.
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Barbra Banda was banned after a gender test – is still ready for the football World Cup – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
