“Canada, wake up and smell the coffee” – Martina Navratilova hails Canadian woman boxer’s decision to withdraw from fight against trans athlete

Martina Navratilova recently applauded a Canadian woman boxer's decision to withdraw from an event on learning that she will face a transgender opponent.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion has raised her voice publicly on several occasions against the inclusion of transgender athletes in events exclusively designed for female players.

Katia Bissonnette withdrew from her match against Mya Walmsley at the 2023 Provincial Golden Glove Championships an hour before the bout after she reportedly found out that the latter was born a biological male.

"I came down from my hotel room to head towards the room where all the boxers were warming up. My coach suddenly took me aside and told me he received information by text message, which he had then validated, that my opponent was not a woman by birth. We did not have any other additional information," Bissonnette told Reduxx this past week.

She added that her opponent had previously never fought in the ring as a woman.

"[Walmsley] would have boxed as a man in Australia. In Quebec, on his file, it is mentioned that he had 0 fights as a woman," she added.

Walmsley was declared the default winner as the officials were not able to locate an alternate female fighter in the respective category.

Martina Navratilova learned about the incident on X (formerly Twitter) recently and praised Bissonnette's call but also decried the situation of women's sports.

"A very Brave and necessary move but it stinks that women get the short shaft, again!!!! Come on Canada, wake up and smell the coffee, as old Momma would say to Eunice," she wrote.

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Martina Navratilova suggests "some boycotts could be the fastest way to change the rules" in women's favor

Martina Navratilova addresses the media during a WTA event in Cancun, Mexico.

Martina Navratilova had previously called on female athletes to resist participating in competitions where transgender athletes were permitted to compete alongside them.

The Czech-American's statements came in light of Alana McLaughlin, a trans female fighter, scoring a win over Celine Provost in MMA.

"Just watched the whole video! Sickening. The technically superior fighter, a female, losing, laying in a pool of blood while the commentators cheer on the winner, a biological man., saying this is historical. Yup, it is that for all the wrong reasons. This is dangerous and unfair," she wrote on X.

Navratilova suggested that boycotts could be the most effective way to control the situation.

"Women get the shaft either way, but some boycotts could be the fastest way to change the rules."

The 67-year-old added that she would have boycotted events that followed similar rules during her days as a professional athlete.

"If I thought it was unfair, yes. Absolutely," she replied to a question posed to her on X.