A transgender goalkeeper, who once played men’s football, has now been selected for the England Universities’ women’s team.
Six-foot Blair Hamilton, 32, was born a male but identifies as a female.
Hamilton was selected for the England Universities’ squad after a string of impressive performances for club side Hastings United in east Sussex.
In response to the call-up, Hamilton, a student at Brighton University, said they were "buzzing for this".
Blair Hamilton
Twitter/@HastingsUFCW
Cyclist Emily Bridges
Instagram/@EmilyBridges45_
But the call-up has been criticised by some, including campaign group, Sex Matters.
Maya Forstater from Sex Matters said: 'Women will lose out from being on the squad and will also potentially be put under pressure not to speak up about it."
This comes after trans cyclist Emily Bridges said she has been “harassed and demonised” after being banned from competing in the women’s National Omnium Championships last weekend following a ruling by cycling’s world governing body.
The 21-year-old was due to race alongside the likes of Olympic champion Laura Kenny in the event, which would’ve been her first female tournament after undergoing hormone therapy that lowered her testosterone levels.
In a statement released on social media, Bridges said: “Despite the public announcement, I still have little clarity around their finding of my ineligibility under their regulations.
“I am an athlete, and I just want to race competitively again, within the regulations set by British Cycling and UCI after careful consideration of the research around transgender athletes.
“No one should have to choose between being who they are, and participating in the sport they love.”
