The new boxing association World Boxing is going to make gender tests mandatory for boxing matches. Olympic champion Imane Khelif is therefore not welcome at a competition in Eindhoven, unless she undergoes such a test.
The gender test is now a mandatory part of the run-up to boxing tournaments. “The introduction of mandatory tests is part of the Sex, Age and Weight policy. In this way, we want to guarantee the safety of all participants and a level playing field for men and women,” World Boxing said in a statement.
This means that Khelif is not allowed to participate in tournaments under the flag of World Boxing for the time being. This also applies to the tournament in Eindhoven, which starts on Thursday. World Boxing has informed the Algerian federation about this. Khelif has not yet responded to the news.
Khelif, 26, was supposed to make her comeback in Eindhoven, after not being in the ring for months. The Algerian did participate in the tournament in Eindhoven last year and also won the title there.
In February, Khelif was not allowed to participate in the World Cup. That tournament is organized by the controversial boxing association International Boxing Association (IBA), which is no longer officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after all kinds of offenses. World Boxing has recently become that and may organize the Olympic boxing tournament in Los Angeles in 2028.
Khelif in the eye of the storm during Games
Khelif won Olympic gold in Paris last year in the weight class up to 66 kilograms. Her participation caused worldwide controversy.
Her first opponent, the Italian Angela Carini, already gave up within one minute. “I’ve never received such blows,” Carini said afterwards. After that, Khelif won all her matches 5-0, including the final against Chinese Yang Liu.
According to unconfirmed rumors, a ‘male’ XY chromosome was found in Khelif after an earlier gender test. Conclusive evidence for these accusations, originating from the IBA, has never been found.
After the Olympic Games, Khelif filed a complaint for online intimidation. Among others, writer J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk intervened in the hate campaign against Khelif. “I want to call on all people in the world to uphold the Olympic spirit and stop the bullying of all athletes,” she already said during the tournament.