Martina Navratilova reacts to female athletes withdrawing from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament after being paired up against transgender opponents

Martina Navratilova sarcastically reacted to news of women abandoning a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament after being forced to fight against trans female athletes.

A women’s martial arts tournament in Georgia last week ran into controversy after several female competitors withdrew from the event due to the presence of trans athletes. The tournament in question was organized by the North American Grappling Association (NAGA).

The NAGA hosts tournaments in various martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is a combat sport that involves grappling, submissions, and ground fighting.

Controversy erupted after a number of female athletes came forward to claim that they had been matched up against trans women in the tournament held on October 21.

One of the most prominent of those is Corissa Griffith, a trans woman who competed in the women’s division of the NAGA Georgia tournament on October 21. Griffith won four gold medals in different weight classes and skill levels, defeating all of her female opponents with ease.

The situation has caught the attention of many, who have expressed their opinions on social media. One of them is Martina Navratilova, a former World No.1 tennis player and an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and LGBTQ rights.

Navratilova shared the news article with a sarcastic remark on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, October 27.

"So not just a couple of athletes here and there?" Navratilova Wrote on X.

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"They can play in the men’s category" - Martina Navratilova on trans female athletes

Martina Navratilova at the 2016 WTA Finals Singapore

Martina Navratilova recently suggested a way to resolve the ongoing problem, stating that men who identify as women can either join the men’s category, which would be called ‘open’, or they can make their own events.

"Can males who identify as women be accommodated in sports? Of course. They can play in the men’s category. The men’s category can be redefined as “open.” Or they can create their own events, as the Gay Games have done every four years since 1982," Navratilova wrote in her latest first-person essay for Genspect.

The American said that she is okay with anything as long as transgender athletes don’t participate in the female section.

"I support any accommodations so long as male athletes do not take participation opportunities or scholarships from female athletes. The female category was created to provide opportunities for women to compete fairly. It was always intended to exclude males. We need to keep excluding them," she added.

Martina Navratilova also shared how she faced charges of being transphobic after her remarks on transgender athletes.