Latest news with #DirkRenders
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Boxer Imane Khelif not competing in latest tournament: organisers
Algeria's Imane Khelif, who is at the centre of a row over gender eligibility, will not compete in this week's tournament in the Netherlands. PHOTO: AFP THE HAGUE – Algerian Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif, who is at the centre of a row over gender eligibility, will not compete in this week's tournament in The Netherlands, organisers said on June 5. Dirk Renders, spokesman for the Eindhoven Box Cup, confirmed to AFP the boxer would not be taking part, adding: 'The decision of her exclusion is up to World Boxing.' World Boxing has introduced mandatory gender testing for competitors over 18 and had informed the Algerian federation Khelif would have to undergo the test to compete in Eindhoven this week. Under the new policy, all athletes in World Boxing-sanctioned competitions need to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, to determine what sex they were at birth. The PCR test, conducted via a nasal or mouth swab, detects specific genetic material – in this case the SRY gene – that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, an indicator of biological gender. The controversy around Khelif, who won Gold in the women's welterweight class in Paris, was one of the stories of the Games. She and Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting, who also won gold, found themselves at the centre of a gender row. Both boxers had been disqualified from the International Boxing Association's (IBA) 2023 world championships after the organisation said they had failed gender eligibility tests. But the International Olympic Committee later stripped the IBA of its right to organise the boxing in Paris over financial, governance, and ethical concerns. The IOC allowed them both to compete in Paris, saying they had been victims of 'a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA'. 'The two female athletes mentioned by the IBA are not transgender athletes,' the IOC said in a statement to AFP in February. 'They were born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women's category for their entire boxing careers.' Looking ahead, World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the IOC granted it provisional recognition. Khelif is a role model to many in Algeria and received strong support from authorities and fans during the controversy in Paris. After winning Gold, she said the medal was the best response to her critics. 'I am fully qualified to take part. I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman,' she said. The row rumbled on well beyond Paris, with the IBA saying in February it would sue the IOC for clearing Khelif to box at the Games. Khelif jabbed back that the accusations were 'false and offensive', adding: 'This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.' She has vowed to take her own legal action to refute the accusations. World Boxing, which took over governance of the sport from the IBA, was forced into an embarrassing climbdown of its own earlier this week. It had initially named Khelif in its statement announcing the new testing policy but then rowed back. 'The president of World Boxing does not think it was correct to have named a specific athlete in the statement,' it said. The association wrote to the Algerian boxing authorities to apologise and acknowledge that 'greater effort should have been made to avoid linking the policy to any individual'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Excluded from Eindhoven Tournament
ALGERIAN OLYMPIC champion boxer Imane Khelif, who is at the centre of a row over gender eligibility, will not compete in this week's tournament in The Netherlands, organisers said Thursday. Dirk Renders, spokesman for the Eindhoven Box Cup, confirmed to AFP the boxer would not be taking part, adding: 'The decision of her exclusion is up to World Boxing.' World Boxing has introduced mandatory gender testing for competitors over 18 and had informed the Algerian federation Khelif would have to undergo the test to compete in Eindhoven this week. Under the new policy, all athletes in World Boxing-sanctioned competitions need to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, to determine what sex they were at birth. The PCR test, conducted via a nasal or mouth swab, detects specific genetic material -- in this case the SRY gene -- that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, an indicator of biological gender. The controversy around Khelif, who won Gold in the women's welterweight class in Paris, was one of the stories of the Games. The scandal erupted when Khelif defeated Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds in her opening bout, the Italian reduced to tears after suffered a badly hurt nose. Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, then found themselves at the centre of a gender row that attracted comments from US President Donald Trump and 'Harry Potter' author Both boxers had been disqualified from the International Boxing Association's (IBA) 2023 world championships after the organisation said they had failed gender eligibility tests. But the International Olympic Committee later stripped the IBA of its right to organise the boxing in Paris over financial, governance, and ethical concerns. The IOC allowed them both to compete in Paris saying they had been victims of 'a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA'. 'The two female athletes mentioned by the IBA are not transgender athletes,' the IOC said in a statement to AFP in February. 'They were born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women's category for their entire boxing careers,' said the IOC. World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the IOC granted it provisional recognition. 'Born a woman' Khelif is a role model to many in Algeria and received strong support from authorities and fans during the controversy in Paris. After winning Gold, she said the medal was the best response to her critics. 'I am fully qualified to take part. I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman,' she said. The row rumbled on well beyond Paris, with the IBA saying in February it would sue the IOC for clearing Khelif to box at the Games. Khelif jabbed back that the accusations were 'false and offensive', adding: 'This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.' She has vowed to take her own legal action to refute the accusations. 'I am not going anywhere. I will fight in the ring, I will fight in the courts and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable,' she said. World Boxing, which took over governance of the sport from the IBA, was forced into an embarrassing climbdown of its own earlier this week. It had initially named Khelif in its statement announcing the new testing policy but then rowed back. 'The president of World Boxing does not think it was correct to have named a specific athlete' in the statement. The association wrote to the Algerian boxing authorities to apologise and acknowledge that 'greater effort should have been made to avoid linking the policy to any individual'.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Boxer Khelif not competing in latest tournament: organisers
ALGERIAN OLYMPIC champion boxer Imane Khelif, who is at the centre of a row over gender eligibility, will not compete in this week's tournament in The Netherlands, organisers said Thursday. Dirk Renders, spokesman for the Eindhoven Box Cup, confirmed to AFP the boxer would not be taking part, adding: 'The decision of her exclusion is up to World Boxing.' World Boxing has introduced mandatory gender testing for competitors over 18 and had informed the Algerian federation Khelif would have to undergo the test to compete in Eindhoven this week. Under the new policy, all athletes in World Boxing-sanctioned competitions need to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, to determine what sex they were at birth. The PCR test, conducted via a nasal or mouth swab, detects specific genetic material -- in this case the SRY gene -- that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, an indicator of biological gender. The controversy around Khelif, who won Gold in the women's welterweight class in Paris, was one of the stories of the Games. The scandal erupted when Khelif defeated Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds in her opening bout, the Italian reduced to tears after suffered a badly hurt nose. Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, then found themselves at the centre of a gender row that attracted comments from US President Donald Trump and 'Harry Potter' author Both boxers had been disqualified from the International Boxing Association's (IBA) 2023 world championships after the organisation said they had failed gender eligibility tests. But the International Olympic Committee later stripped the IBA of its right to organise the boxing in Paris over financial, governance, and ethical concerns. The IOC allowed them both to compete in Paris saying they had been victims of 'a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA'. 'The two female athletes mentioned by the IBA are not transgender athletes,' the IOC said in a statement to AFP in February. 'They were born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women's category for their entire boxing careers,' said the IOC. World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the IOC granted it provisional recognition. 'Born a woman' Khelif is a role model to many in Algeria and received strong support from authorities and fans during the controversy in Paris. After winning Gold, she said the medal was the best response to her critics. 'I am fully qualified to take part. I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman,' she said. The row rumbled on well beyond Paris, with the IBA saying in February it would sue the IOC for clearing Khelif to box at the Games. Khelif jabbed back that the accusations were 'false and offensive', adding: 'This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.' She has vowed to take her own legal action to refute the accusations. 'I am not going anywhere. I will fight in the ring, I will fight in the courts and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable,' she said. World Boxing, which took over governance of the sport from the IBA, was forced into an embarrassing climbdown of its own earlier this week. It had initially named Khelif in its statement announcing the new testing policy but then rowed back. 'The president of World Boxing does not think it was correct to have named a specific athlete' in the statement. The association wrote to the Algerian boxing authorities to apologise and acknowledge that 'greater effort should have been made to avoid linking the policy to any individual'.
France 24
6 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Boxer Khelif not competing in latest tournament: organisers
Dirk Renders, spokesman for the Eindhoven Box Cup, confirmed to AFP the boxer would not be taking part, adding: "The decision of her exclusion is up to World Boxing." World Boxing has introduced mandatory gender testing for competitors over 18 and had informed the Algerian federation Khelif would have to undergo the test to compete in Eindhoven this week. Under the new policy, all athletes in World Boxing-sanctioned competitions need to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, to determine what sex they were at birth. The PCR test, conducted via a nasal or mouth swab, detects specific genetic material -- in this case the SRY gene -- that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, an indicator of biological gender. The controversy around Khelif, who won Gold in the women's welterweight class in Paris, was one of the stories of the Games. The scandal erupted when Khelif defeated Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds in her opening bout, the Italian reduced to tears after suffered a badly hurt nose. Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, then found themselves at the centre of a gender row that attracted comments from US President Donald Trump and "Harry Potter" author Both boxers had been disqualified from the International Boxing Association's (IBA) 2023 world championships after the organisation said they had failed gender eligibility tests. But the International Olympic Committee later stripped the IBA of its right to organise the boxing in Paris over financial, governance, and ethical concerns. The IOC allowed them both to compete in Paris saying they had been victims of "a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA". "The two female athletes mentioned by the IBA are not transgender athletes," the IOC said in a statement to AFP in February. "They were born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women's category for their entire boxing careers," said the IOC. World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the IOC granted it provisional recognition. 'Born a woman' Khelif is a role model to many in Algeria and received strong support from authorities and fans during the controversy in Paris. After winning Gold, she said the medal was the best response to her critics. "I am fully qualified to take part. I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman," she said. The row rumbled on well beyond Paris, with the IBA saying in February it would sue the IOC for clearing Khelif to box at the Games. Khelif jabbed back that the accusations were "false and offensive", adding: "This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport." She has vowed to take her own legal action to refute the accusations. "I am not going anywhere. I will fight in the ring, I will fight in the courts and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable," she said. World Boxing, which took over governance of the sport from the IBA, was forced into an embarrassing climbdown of its own earlier this week. It had initially named Khelif in its statement announcing the new testing policy but then rowed back. "The president of World Boxing does not think it was correct to have named a specific athlete" in the statement. The association wrote to the Algerian boxing authorities to apologise and acknowledge that "greater effort should have been made to avoid linking the policy to any individual".
National Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Controversial Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif skips event after mandatory sex testing introduced
Olympic champion Imane Khelif is skipping the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands less than a week after World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes. Article content The Algerian boxer, who won gold at the Paris Games last summer amid scrutiny over her eligibility, did not register in time for the event before applications closed on Thursday. Article content Article content 'The decision of Imane's exclusion is not ours. We regret it,' tournament media director Dirk Renders told The Associated Press. Article content Khelif had intended to return to international competition at the tournament in Hotel Eindhoven before World Boxing announced its new sex testing policy last Friday. Article content Eindhoven mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem criticized World Boxing's decision. Article content 'As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven. Excluding athletes based on controversial 'gender tests' certainly does not fit in with that,' Dijsselbloem wrote in a letter addressed to the Dutch Boxing Federation and International Boxing Federation. 'We are expressing our disapproval of this decision today and are calling on the organization to admit Imane Khelif after all.' Article content Khelif won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer amid international scrutiny on her and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, another gold medal winner. The previous governing body for Olympic boxing, the Russian-dominated International Boxing Association, had disqualified both fighters from its 2023 world championships after claiming they failed unspecified eligibility tests. Article content Article content But the IBA was banished for decades of misdeeds and controversy. The IOC ran the past two Olympic boxing tournaments in its place and it applied the sex eligibility rules used in previous Olympics. Khelif and Lin were eligible to compete under those standards. Article content World Boxing has since been provisionally approved as the boxing organizer at the 2028 Los Angeles Games and has faced pressure from boxers and their federations to create sex eligibility standards. Article content
