Anna 
Tiffany Abreu made her debut in Brazil’s top volleyball league, Superliga, on Tuesday at the age of 33. While this was her first match in the league, Abreu has a long history in professional volleyball. For years, she played in countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Indonesia — but as a man.
In 2012, Abreu stepped away from the sport to begin her transition to a transgender woman. It wasn’t until after her transition that she realized she could return to the sport, this time competing as a woman.
“I took every step needed after my agent said I could play women’s volleyball,” Abreu told the Associated Press. “He knows the rules and said other transgender athletes were playing in smaller leagues. So I decided to come back.”
Abreu is now setting her sights on the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Her dream is made possible by a 2016 ruling by the International Olympic Committee, which allows transgender athletes to compete under certain conditions.
Brazilian women’s national team coach José Roberto Guimarães has no issue with her participation. “Tiffany is legally allowed to play in the Superliga,” he said. “I don’t see any problem in calling her up.”
If selected, Abreu would join one of the most successful national teams in volleyball. Brazil won gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and is consistently among the top teams in the world.
However, her participation has sparked debate. While society becomes more accepting of transgender people, sports continue to raise difficult questions about fairness and inclusion.
Former Brazilian volleyball player Ana Paula Henkel voiced her concerns on social media. “It is not a matter of prejudice, it is physiology,” she tweeted. “Most players don’t think it is fair for trans women to play against women. And it is not. Tiffany’s body was built with testosterone all her life.”
This situation is similar to the case of South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who competed in the 2012 London Olympics using prosthetic legs. Some critics believed his prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage, but he was ultimately allowed to run after legal challenges.
With the 2020 Olympics still a few years away at the time, it remained uncertain whether Abreu would make Brazil’s team. But even if she doesn’t, many believe it’s only a matter of time before an openly transgender athlete competes in the Olympic Games.
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