Female boxer withdraws from Canadian tournament after being told her rival was transgender with an HOUR'S notice, leaving her fearing for her safety

Dr. Katia Bissonnette, from Saguenay, claims she was given just an hour's notice she was being matched with transgender fighter Mya Walmsley last month.

The two had been due to face off in the 2023 Provincial Golden Glove Championship in Victoriaville, Quebec.

But Bissonnette withdrew at the last second after learning the identity of her opponent, resulting in Walmsley being declared the winner by default as they could not find anyone else to take her position in the same weight class.

'Women shouldn't have to bear the physical and psychological risks brought by a man's decisions regarding his personal life and identity,' Bissonnette told Reduxx. 'There should be two categories: biological male and female.'

She also cited a study by the University of Utah which found that men can punch 163 per cent harder than women.

Studies on the strength of transgender women suggest that hormone blockers may reduce this biological advantage slightly.

According to Boxing Canada, a trans fighter's identity should not be disclosed if a transition was undertaken before puberty to prevent discrimination.

Walmsley is originally from australia her history is not known, Bissonnette said. She claims that Walmsley's file indicates 'zero fights as a woman' in Canada.

For her part, Walmsley has criticized Bissonnette for publicly outing her rather than approaching her directly for a resolution.

'This kind of behavior puts athletes at risk of being excluded or receiving personal attacks based on hearsay,' Walmsley said in a statement.

'I am afraid that this type of accusation could eventually be used to delegitimize athletes in the women's category, and justify arbitrary and invasive regulations.'

FIFA have confirmed that Saudi Arabia have submitted the only bid to host the 2034 World Cup 🇸🇦🏆

The winner of the 2023 Ballon d’Or has been announced and Lionel Messi has won a record-extending eighth award.

The Inter Miami and Argentina striker, who played for Paris Saint-Germain last season, captained Argentina to the World Cup in Qatar last December, ending a 36-year wait for the South American country. Messi, 36, has won the award three times more than anyone else.

Lionel Messi was named the Ballon d’Or 2023 winner at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, the eighth time he has won the prestigious award.

Messi captained Argentina to 2022 World Cup success in Qatar last winter, the first time he won the tournament which ended a 36-year wait for La Albiceleste.

The 36-year-old scored twice in a blockbuster final against France in December which finished 3-3 after extra-time, scored in the penalty shoot-out and was named player of the match.

Messi fought off competition from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe, as well as 26 other nominees to win the award.

In a league title-winning season for PSG, he played 41 matches during the 2022/23 season, scored 21 goals and provided 20 assists.

At the World Cup in Qatar, Messi scored twice in the group stage and was on target in each knockout round, scoring against australia, the Netherlands and Croatia, and then in the final.

He finished second in the top goalscorer charts with seven goals and received the Golden Ball at the conclusion of the tournament in recognition of his fine campaign.

On stage, he said: "Thank you very much, to share this with my national team-mates for what we were able to achieve with the national team.

"The entire group, the coaching staff, everyone involved. I’m delighted to be here once more to be able to enjoy this moment one more time.

"To be able to win the World Cup and really achieve my dream, to share this with all those who were involved."Fittingly, after his World Cup success, he added: "To finish, I want to say happy birthday to Diego Maradona."

After his contract at PSG ran out in the summer, Messi moved to Inter Miami in MLS on a free transfer and was one of three players nominated for the award who do not currently play in Europe.

The former Barcelona forward spent 17 years with the Spanish club between 2004 and 2021 and also won the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.

He was 22 years old when he won his first in 2009 and 14 years later has sealed a record eighth award.

FIFA has banned former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales from the sport for three years for misconduct at the Women’s World Cup final where he forcibly kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the trophy ceremony.

“This case relates to the events that occurred during the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on 20 August 2023, for which Mr Rubiales had been provisionally suspended for an initial period of 90 days,” world football’s governing body said in a statement on Monday.

FIFA did not publish details of the verdict reached by its disciplinary committee judges, who had investigated charges relating to “basic rules of decent conduct” and “behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute”.

Rubiales is also under criminal investigation in Spain for kissing Hermoso after the team’s 1-0 victory over England on August 20 in Sydney, australia. He denied wrongdoing to a judge in Madrid who imposed a restraining order for Rubiales not to contact Hermoso.

At the final whistle in Sydney, Rubiales had also grabbed his crotch as a victory gesture in the exclusive section of seats with Queen Letizia of Spain and 16-year-old Princess Sofia standing nearby.

Rubiales was removed from office by FIFA judges during their investigation, and they also cited a third incident – “carrying the Spanish player Athenea del Castillo over his shoulder during the post-match celebrations” – in a ruling to explain why he was provisionally suspended.

The risk of witness tampering by Rubiales and his allies was also cited to justify the interim ban that is now confirmed to extend beyond the next men’s World Cup in 2026, being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Rubiales resigned from his jobs in football in September after three weeks of defiance that increased pressure on him from the Spanish government and national team players.

“After my swift suspension by FIFA, and the rest of the cases building against me, it is clear that I cannot return to the post,” Rubiales said on September 10 while giving up the federation presidency he had held since 2018.

Rubiales also had to give up his vice presidency of the European football body UEFA, which paid him 250,000 euros ($265,000) each year. UEFA later thanked Rubiales for his service in a statement.

When Rubiales resigned, which was coordinated with an interview with a British cable news channel, he noted not wanting to be a distraction from Spain’s bid to host the men’s 2030 World Cup in a UEFA-backed project with Portugal and Morocco.

That bid has since been picked by FIFA as the only candidate to host the 2030 tournament in a plan that now also includes its former opponents Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Rubiales can request details of the FIFA disciplinary verdict within 10 days and then file an appeal, football’s world body said. He could file a further appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Asisat Lamina Oshoala MON (born 9 October 1994) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona and the Nigeria women's national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest African female footballers of all time and one of the best in the world, she is one of the most celebrated African female footballers of all time, having won African Women's Footballer of the Year a record five times.

Asisat previously played for English clubs Arsenal and Liverpool, Chinese club Dailan, and Nigerian clubs Rivers Angels and FC Robo. She won the 2015 FA Women's Cup with Arsenal; two league championships and a cup title with Dalian; and the 2019–20 Copa de la Reina and 2019–20 Supercopa de España Femenina with Barcelona. She was the first African (and Nigerian) player to score a goal in a UEFA Women's Champions League final and has helped Barcelona reach the semi-finals three consecutive years, and one final. On 16 May 2021, Asisat became the first African woman to win the UEFA Champions League, after Barcelona defeated Chelsea 4–0 in the finals.[8] The following season, she became the first African woman to win the Primera División's Pichichi Trophy, and in August 2022 became the first African woman nominated to the Ballon d'Or.

Asisat was the highest goal scorer at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and was named best player at the tournament. She was also named best player and second top goalscorer with the Super Falcons team who won the 2014 African Women's Championship.

In September 2014, Oshoala was made a Member of the Order of the Niger by President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan. In 2021, she was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30. She is popularly called “Àgba Baller”, which means in her local parlance, “Legendary Footballer”.

In July 2023, after her group stage heroics against australia in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Oshoala saw a massive increase in her Instagram followership which made her become the first African female footballer to have a million followers on the social media platform.

Club career

Liverpool: 2015–2016

On 23 January 2015, Oshoala joined Liverpool in England's Women's Super League. The club's manager, Matt Beard, called her "one of the best young players in the world". Although rumours had linked her with other clubs, she was very happy to join Liverpool. She was the first player from an African nation to compete in the top women's league in England.

Despite missing two months of the 2015 season with a knee injury, Oshoala scored three goals in the nine games in which she played as defending champions Liverpool finished in seventh place. Her first goal of the season was the game-opener of a 2–1 win against Birmingham City on April 1. During the club's 2–1 win over Manchester City, she scored the game-opening goal in the tenth minute. She scored the club's third goal of a 3–1 win against Arsenal on 12 July.

In January 2016, Liverpool reported that a transfer bid from Arsenal had activated the release clause in Oshoala's contract and that she was discussing personal terms with the London club.

Arsenal: 2016–2017

In March 2016, Oshoala signed with Arsenal. Arsenal manager, Pedro Losa said of her signing, "Asisat is a fantastic talent and will be a great addition to our squad. She is quick, with excellent feet and has proven she can score goals so it's very positive she has decided to join us."

Oshoala helped Arsenal win the 2016 FA Women's Cup Final on 14 May. The win marked the club's 14th title. Oshoala made 13 appearances for the club during the 2016 season and scored two goals.[16] She scored the game-winning goal in the 2–0 win against Notts County on 28 August. Arsenal finished in third place with a 16–4–2 record.

Dalian Quanjian: 2017–2019

On 10 February 2017, Oshoala signed with Chinese club Dalian. During the 2017 season, she scored 12 goals helping Dalian Quanjian win the league championship. She was awarded the league's Golden Boot award for most goals scored. The same year, she scored four goals during the 2017 Women's Super Cup and helped the club defeat Shanghai 5–3 to win the championship. In October 2018, she helped the club win the league championship for the second consecutive year.

FC Barcelona: 2019–present

On 31 January 2019, Spanish club FC Barcelona Femení signed Oshoala on a loan deal until the end of the season. On May 31, 2019, Barcelona announced her full transfer to the club and extension until 2022. She scored seven goals in her seven appearances for the club during the 2018-19 season. Barcelona finished in second place during the regular season with a 25–2–3 record.

Oshoala scored Barcelona's only goal in a 4–1 defeat to Lyon in the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final. She was the first African (and Nigerian) to score in a Champions League Final.

During the 2019-20 season, Oshoala scored 20 goals in her 19 appearances for Barcelona. She scored her first goals of the season with a brace against Atlético Madrid on 19 September 2019. In October, she scored another brace against Madrid lifting Barcelona to a 4–0 win. On January 11, 2020, Oshoala scored four goals in a 6–0 win against CD Tacon. Barcelona finished in first place during the regular season with an undefeated 19–0–2 record. Oshoala's 20 goals ranked second in the league following teammate Jenni Hermoso with 23.

Oshoala scored the game-opening goal in the fourth minute of the 2019–20 Copa de la Reina semi-finals against Sevilla. She provided assists on two the goals to lift Barcelona to a 6–0 win. Barcelona defeated Logroño 3–0 to clinch the championship.

On 21 August 2020, Oshoala provided the assist for Kheira Hamraoui's game-winning goal in the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final against Atlético Madrid lifting Barcelona to the semi-final.

On 24 March 2021, Oshoala scored the game-winning goal in the team's 3–0 win over Manchester City during the first leg of the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals. On 16 May 2021, Oshoala became the first African woman to win the UEFA Champions League, after coming on in the 71st minute of the finals with Barcelona defeating Chelsea 4–0.

On 10 March 2022, Oshoala signed a two-year contract extension that would keep her at Barcelona until 30 June 2024.

Style of play

Oshoala found success as a forward for Nigeria's youth teams but made most of her early appearances for the senior national team as an attacking midfielder. She was nicknamed "Seedorf" after male footballer Clarence Seedorf and has also been referred to as "Superzee" by her teammates.

International career

Oshoala's club coach Edwin Okon was serving as the national team interim manager when he gave her a debut senior cap in a friendly defeat by world champions Japan in September 2013.

Oshoala was named as the best player at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and was the top goalscorer at the tournament with seven goals. She was also named best player and second top goalscorer with the Super Falcons team who won the 2014 African Women's Championship. She also won the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2015. In September 2014, Oshoala was made a Member of the Order of the Niger by President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan.

On 8 June 2015, Oshoala scored her first 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup goal when she scored the team's second goal in a 3–3 draw with Sweden in Winnipeg. After the team was defeated 2–0 by australia and 1–0 by the United States, they did not advance to the knockout stages.

Oshoala was also a member of the Super Falcons team who won the African Women's Championship in 2016 and 2018. She scored three goals in the 2018 Edition in Ghana.

Oshoala vice-captained the Super Falcons at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. During the team's second group stage match against South Korea, she scored in the 75th minute lifting Nigeria to a 2–0 win. Oshoala was named Player of the Match. Her goal was nominated for Goal of the Tournament by FIFA. Nigeria finished third in Group A and advanced to the knockout stages where they faced two-time champions Germany and were defeated 3–0 in a controversial match heavily influenced by video assistant referee (VAR).

On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

In the Super Falcons second group stage game against host nation australia, Oshoala came in as substitute for fellow teammate, Uchenna Kanu, in the 63rd minute of regulation time and scored the third goal of the match for her team after ten minutes of play. This goal made her the first Super Falcons' player to score at three consecutive FIFA World Cups, having scored in the 2015 and 2019 editions and also the first African (and Nigerian) to score at three different FIFA Women's World Cups.

Personal life

Oshoala recounts that her parents were not supportive when she dropped out of school to pursue a football career. She is a Muslim.

Oshoala launched the Asisat Oshoala Foundation in 2019 focused on empowering girl footballers in Africa. The foundation hosts the annual Asisat Oshoala Foundation Football4girls tournament in Lagos. She is a NIKE Ambassador. In 2021, she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30. In October 2021, she was appointed unto FIFA's technical advisory group on the growth and advancement of women's football. The grouped is headed by Jill Ellis and has fellow African Doreen Nabwire also as a member.