The governing body for collegiate sports in the United States has banned transgender women from competing in women's sports after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the issue.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, announced on Thursday that it had revised its transgender policy.

The new policy states, "A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women's team." It also says that even athletes who were female at birth will not be allowed to compete in women's sports if they have undergone hormone therapy that increases testosterone, a male hormone.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement, "We strongly believe that clear, consistent and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today's student-athletes." He stressed that the new policy brings much-needed clarity as the organization modernizes college sports.

The NCAA is made up of about 1,100 colleges and universities across the US and more than 530,000 student-athletes.

The change comes amid intensifying debates over how to maintain fairness in competitions involving transgender athletes.

Trump welcomed the move on social media, calling it a "great day for women." He added, "I am proud to be the President to SAVE Women's Sports."

Under the executive order signed on Wednesday, schools and other entities that fail to comply with the ban will lose federal funding.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe expressed support on Thursday for Trump's executive order.

On social media, he said, "Preserving the integrity of competition in the female category is a fundamental principle of the sport of Athletics."

He added, "Establishing clear, unambiguous policies is a critical first step."

In 2023, World Athletics banned transgender athletes who underwent male puberty from participating in women's competitions.