Martina Navratilova sorry for 'cheat' comment and only wants 'fairness' after transgender athlete row
Sunday 3 March 2019 17:15, UK
Martina Navratilova has apologised for a 'cheat' comment that got her involved in a row over transgender athletes, and insists she just wants 'fairness'.
The Czech-born nine-times Wimbledon singles champion sparked a debate when she suggested people who were assigned male at birth should not be allowed to compete in women's sports, but she has now moved to clarify her comments and has called for a scientific approach to the issue.
Writing on her official website, www.martinanavratilova.com, she said: "I know I don't have all the answers. I don't think there's a definitive answer here.
"That is why I want a debate, a conversation that includes everyone and is based, as I have said, not on feeling or emotion but science, objectivity and the best interests of women's sport as a whole.
"Needless to say, I have always and will always be a champion of democracy, equal rights, human rights and full protection under the law for everyone.
"When I talk about sports and rules that must be fair, I am not trying to exclude trans people from living a full, healthy life. And I am certainly not advocating violence against trans people, as has been suggested.
"All I am trying to do is to make sure girls and women who were born female are competing on as level a playing field as possible within their sport.
"Fairness has been my mantra all my life. And that will not change, no matter the name-calling. The communists tried to shut me up 45 years ago and look how that worked out..."
Navratilova, who revealed she was subjected to "a barrage of quite nasty personal attacks", did, however, apologise for her use of the word 'cheat' in her comments.
She said: "I know that my use of the word 'cheat' caused particular offence among the transgender community. I'm sorry for that because I certainly was not suggesting that transgender athletes in general are cheats."
