Liane Simmel – Tanzmedizin in der Praxis
Tag Archives: Sport
buzkashi, self-portrait & laptop
When I was a student, I would trundle up to Melbourne Uni and on weekends and holidays hole up the the stacks somewhere, a large Sikh pushing the trolley of returns often the only other person in the vicinity of my nest in the Central Asian shelves where I’d devour everything from Kazakhstan to Pakistan, paying careful attention to those parts most mountainous and wild. My enduring favourites were old travelogues, especially of women who ventured out on their own to spend winters in Skardu or years in Kabul, or meandering across unmapped stretches. I planned to go, at least through Baltistan, and maybe along the northern side of Tian Shan mountains. Adventures in China and sundry wars detoured me though.
Since my recent time in Melbourne, I’ve re-found my love for Central Asia, even when I had to spray Issey Miyaki on the pages of Louis Dupree’s Afgahnistan to mask the rank odour of stale cigarettes in its 600 pages, the cover of which has beautiful men with long hair and daggers jumping and dancing, and another of Buzkashi. I added many blogs from the ~stans to my reading in those and subsequent months.
Yesterday, I discovered Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan, and of course was immediately smitten. Especially the photo, taken by Pouria Lotfi which now graces the desktop of my darling Mac. Sitting in the kitchen tonight feeling lonely and somewhat lost, I decided to take photos…
buzkashi, self-portrait & laptop
Protected: miscellaneous tranny stuff … coz we rule
chinese transsexuals at the olympics
A while ago, I wrote about the IOC making moves to allows transsexuals to compete in the Olympics. A couple of days ago, this article appeared fanning rumours that two athletes from China, a discus thrower and a wrestler are transsexuals.
Doubts fill the air around the Olympic venues in Athens following a rumour that two transsexual Chinese athletes are taking part in the Games.
Nobody can confirm or deny the truth of the rumour but if true, it will be the first case of its kind in the history of the Olympic Games.
[...]
Sex verification tests were discontinued by the IOC in Sydney 2000. According to speculation circulating in Athens, two transsexual Chinese athletes, a discus thrower and a wrestler, could be among the members of the delegation from China.
“It is a case of a subject already accepted by the International Olympic Committee … but I believe it is one which needs to be studied in depth how it could affect some sports”, said Felipe Munoz, president of the Mexican Olympic Committee, in Athens.
chinese olympic teamIOC brings transsexuals to Olympics
In a move that is seen as an important step forward for transsexual rights globally, the International Olympic Committee ruled on Monday that transsexuals will be able to compete in the Athens Olympics and all subsequent games as their chosen gender.
“This has been something of an open door,” added IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch. “We needed some rules and regulations in place.”
Some people contend that transsexual athletes have a physical advantage against other women. Men have higher levels of testosterone and greater muscle-to-fat ratio and heart and lung capacity. However, doctors say, testosterone levels and muscle mass drop after hormone therapy and sex-change surgery.
Until 1999, the IOC conducted gender verification tests at the Olympics but the controversial screenings were dropped before the 2000 Sydney Games. One reason for the change was that not all women have standard female chromosomes.
The move has not been welcomed unequivocally though, as it stipulates the transsexual athletes must have undergone genital reconstruction surgery, which is something not all transsexuals want to undergo. The ruling means that the way is now open for Canadian champion downhill mountain-biker Michelle Dumaresq to compete.
Michelle Dumaresq