The thrilling life story of the Indonesian 'gender-changing' athlete

giới tính - Ảnh 1. — Manganang before and after gender reassignment - Photo: FB

Manganang once made the volleyball world "panic"

In the mid-2010s, Southeast Asian volleyball was in turmoil when Aprilia Santini Manganang - the main striker of the Indonesian women's team, suddenly appeared and "bombed" every tournament.

Manganang possesses a muscular physique, solid muscles, outstanding jumping power and strength. This has made many opposing teams suspicious of his true gender. The whispers broke out at the 28th SEA Games in Singapore and continued to spread to the following seasons.

From a medical perspective, this case is unique because Manganang has hypospadias - a congenital malformation that causes the urethra to be low. This is often accompanied by a male-like body structure despite being identified as female at birth.

Anyone who has faced Manganang on the field can easily see the difference: muscular body, broad shoulders, angular face and rare smashing power in women's volleyball in the region.

While most female athletes focus on speed and technique, Manganang stands out with her powerful playing style and straight-handed smashes that are almost impossible to block.

giới tính - Ảnh 2. — Manganang once caused fierce controversy - Photo: IA

Those images have further raised doubts, especially from the media and experts of some rival countries, including Vietnam and Thailand.

However, the Indonesian Volleyball Federation and the tournament organizers at that time both confirmed that Manganang was eligible to compete in the women's category, based on valid documents.

The reaction of the volleyball community in the region at the time was quite divided. Some coaches and athletes openly expressed their dissatisfaction. They believed that stricter gender testing criteria were needed to ensure fairness.

On the contrary, many people supported Manganang, saying that "she" was simply an athlete with outstanding physical qualities. And that she was born with different physical characteristics was unintentional.

Manganang herself once shared that she is used to the criticism and only focuses on competing, trying to devote herself to the team.

The turning point came in 2021, when Manganang was serving in the Indonesian military. During a routine medical check-up, military doctors discovered biological characteristics consistent with the male gender, along with high testosterone levels.

After diagnosis and consultation, Manganang was diagnosed with hypospadias and lived her entire childhood and career as a woman due to a mistake at birth.

The decision to retire from volleyball was made not long after, so that "he" could focus on corrective surgeries.

Is it cheating?

Manganang's surgery process lasted for several sessions. He underwent surgeries to restore and reconstruct his genitals and adjust his body structure, with the support of a team of leading Indonesian military doctors and medical experts.

By the end of 2024, Manganang said he had undergone his fifth surgery. And the results were successful, allowing him to live a completely normal life.

giới tính - Ảnh 3. — Manganang always shows superiority - Photo: NEWS

Currently, Aprilio Perkasa Manganang - the new name legalized by the court - is living true to his true gender.

He still serves in the military, maintains his fitness routine and shares photos of his daily life on social media.

In 2022, he married his girlfriend and lived as a mature, independent and confident man. Despite rumors of a broken marriage, Manganang has never made an official statement, choosing to keep his private life private.

Manganang’s case is a clear demonstration of the complexity of biological sex. International medical experts acknowledge that hypospadias and other variations of sex development (DSD) can make sex classification based on external observations misleading.

giới tính - Ảnh 4. — Manganang and girlfriend - Photo: FB

Recent studies have shown that not all XY cases are athletically male, nor are all XX cases purely female.

Scientists call for elite sports to have fairer regulations, both to protect fair competition and to respect the personal rights of athletes.

Looking back at Manganang's "gender transformation" story, it is not a scam, but a journey to find her true gender after many years of living in confusion.

From a controversial athlete, Manganang became a symbol of strength and resilience. At the same time, he opened up a wide discussion about gender in sports - a sensitive and complex topic.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuyen-doi-ly-ky-cua-vdv-ho-bien-gioi-tinh-nguoi-indonesia-20250813093607967.htm