IMANE KHELIF: Boxing association provides errors in gender debate

The boxing association World Boxing, recognized by the IOC, apologized for expressly mentioned in his communication for the introduction of gender tests the name of the Olympic champion Imane Khelif. He wanted to “officially and sincerely” apologize and recognize that “her privacy should have been protected,” wrote World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst in a letter to the Algerian boxing association from which the AP news agency quoted.

In the previous week, World Boxing announced the introduction of tests as “part of a new guideline to gender, age and weight”. This wants to ensure “the security of all participants” and create “equal competitive conditions for men and women”, it said in a published statement.

It was also announced that Khelif was not approved for the Eindhoven Box Cup (June 5th to June 10th). The Algerian, who was at the center of a violent gender debate in the games in Paris in 2024, should not take part in any World Boxing event, “until she has undergone a genetic gender according to the rules and test procedures of World Boxing”.

The debate about Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting from Taiwan had triggered massive vertebrae at Olympia in Paris and adopted a socio-political dimension. Both boxers were excluded by the 2023 World Cup after the WM 2023, which is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee. According to the IBA, both would not have met the necessary participation criteria and had “competitive advantages compared to other female participants”.

The IOC called it an “arbitrary decision without proper procedure” and had Khelif and Lin participate in Paris. For many sports, the gender given in the passport was decisive for admission to the competitions, was a reason. Both won gold.

World Boxing, which was recognized by the IOC Executive Council as a partner in February, now sets up more specific rules. In the future, all athletes over the age of 18 should have a PCR genetic test done to determine their birth sex and their competition authorization.

For the organization of the boxing tournaments in Paris in 2024 and three years earlier in Tokyo, the IOC had taken responsibility after the IBA suspension. In 2028 in Los Angeles, World Boxing would take over.