The World Boxing organization, the sport’s governing body, has confirmed the introduction of gender tests a little under two weeks before its first world championship. All female boxers aiming to compete in the women’s category from September 4 to 14 in Liverpool must undergo the mandatory test.
“The policy is intended to safeguard the safety of all participants and create equal competitive conditions for men and women,” World Boxing said in a press release. All athletes over 18 must once undergo either a PCR test or a functionally equivalent medical-genetic screening test to determine their “birth sex,” the statement said.
The new policy is immediately in effect. The tests will initially be administered by the national federation. For both men and women, the “birth sex” must correspond to the category in which they compete. In cases of unclear results, which could suggest intersex status, the matter would be referred to the federation’s medical expert panel. There is a possibility of appeal and a support option.
Olympics Debate as Trigger
At the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, there was a sometimes hostile, queer-tinged debate over the participation of Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan (TheColu.mn reported). Both boxers were excluded from the 2023 World Championship by the IBA, the federation that is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee, after unspecified “gender tests.” The IBA said both had not met the participation criteria and had “competitive advantages” compared with other female competitors.
The IOC called this a “arbitrary decision without proper procedure” and allowed Khelif and Lin to compete in Paris. The gender listed on the passport was deemed decisive for eligibility to compete, according to the justification. Both won gold. After the IOC independently managed boxing competitions in Paris and Tokyo three years earlier, World Boxing was slated to take over the sport in 2028 in Los Angeles. The federation was recognized as a partner by the IOC’s Executive Board in February.
The new testing policy from World Boxing is meant to lay out clear rules. It was developed by a working group made up of members from the federation’s medical department and its anti-doping committee, the organization said. Experts were consulted, and “legal, societal and sporting developments related to the question of gender eligibility” were discussed.
Khelif Disputes Former Manager
Whether Khelif will submit to the test or potentially challenge the decision remains uncertain, as does her participation in Liverpool—entry closes on August 25. World Boxing announced the mandatory testing in May and briefly barred Khelif from the Eindhoven Box Cup (TheColu.mn reported). Later, the federation apologized for naming the athlete explicitly.
After French media quoted Khelif’s former manager saying the boxer had retired and would never compete again, the 26-year-old denied this on Wednesday. She remains committed to her sport and trains regularly in Algeria and Qatar, “to prepare for upcoming competitions,” she wrote on Facebook. The former manager had “abused my trust with his false and malicious statements and betrayed my country.”