By Mubukwanu Kaingu
Bestselling author JK Rowling has caused a storm by alleging that Zambia women’s national team striker Barbra Banda does not deserve the 2024 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award because she is not female.
Rowling is known for her robust opposition to letting transgender women compete in female sporting events.
The Harry Potter series author alleged in a post on her X account on Wednesday that Banda was not a woman.
“Presumably the BBC decided this was more time efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women’s faces, ” Rowling said.
“Yep, femaleness is just post-modern performance art until they need an incubator.”
But the National Women’s Soccer League where Banda plays for newly crowned champions Orlando Pride who she also inspired to the league title over the weekend came to the Zambia women’s national team captain’s defence.
Banda also won the seasons Most Valuable Player award which Rowling was mute on.
However, Rowling later had an issue with the national broadcaster from her country for bestowing the award on the Zambia captain.
“The lowest form of discourse is personal insult cloaked with racism and lies, on X no less. Barbra Banda is a proud member of @nwsl_players. She is the best of us. Just so we’re clear, @jk_rowling: you come for her, you come for all of us. Me first. Let’s go,” stated Executive Director of the NWSL Players Association Meghann Burke in her reaction to Rowling’s remarks.
Banda was initially banned by CAF from the 2022 Women’s AFCON together with her striker partner Rachael Kundananji for allegedly failing their gender eligibility test.
However, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee found no validity in CAF’s decision and cleared both players who have just inspired Zambia to a third successive WAFCON qualification for next July’s tournament in Morocco.
