Rio Olympics 2016 is around the corner and some of the rules for athletes are being rectified to accommodate qualified players. In particular, the issues on transgender athletes have been addressed after the 1976 Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner underwent gender reassignment procedure and now living as Caitlyn Jenner.

In the past, transgenders can only participate in the Olympic Games once they have completed a gender reassignment surgery. But many think that this rule is not fair so the medical team at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) drafted a recommendation that will allow transgender athletes to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics and other international sporting events.

Fox61 reported that the medical hearing which was led by Professor Ugur Erdener concluded that "it is necessary to ensure in so far as possible that trans athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition to ensure the guarantee of fair competition."

Dr. Richard Budgett, another IOC medical doctor who was at the hearing, stated that he is hoping that the recommendation would lead for other sports events to legally adopt the suggested new rule.

"This is a scientific consensus paper not a rule or regulation. It is the advice of the medical and scientific commission and what we consider the best advice," Budgett said.

He also added, "I don't think many federations have rules on defining eligibility of transgender individuals. This should give them the confidence and stimulus to put these rules in place."

Nevertheless, in 2004, transgender athletes were given permission to compete provided that they have received a minimum of two years hormone therapy. This is to address the concerns on testosterone levels of males who are transitioning into women.

To be approved to play, testosterone levels should not be over the max amount of 10 nmol/L for the 12 months before and during the competition, as stated by Fox61.

Meanwhile, as published on Outsports, some of the important rules mentioned in the new IOC guidelines include:

A. Since the 2003 Stockholm Consensus on Sex Reassignment in Sports, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society, as reflected in the laws of many jurisdictions worldwide.

B. There are also, however, jurisdictions where autonomy of gender identity is not recognised in law at all.

C. It is necessary to ensure insofar as possible that trans athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition.

D. The overriding sporting objective is and remains the guarantee of fair competition. Restrictions on participation are appropriate to the extent that they are necessary and proportionate to the achievement of that objective.

E. To require surgical anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights.

F. Nothing in these guidelines is intended to undermine in any way the requirement to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and the WADA International Standards.

G. These guidelines are a living document and will be subject to review in light of any scientific or medical developments.

Lastly, former IOC medical committee head Arne Ljungqvist stressed that the new set of guidelines were driven by social and political changes.

"It has become much more of a social issue than in the past. We had to review and look into this from a new angle. We needed to adapt to the modern legislation around the world. We felt we cannot impose a surgery if that is no longer a legal requirement," he said on Telegraph UK.