6 days ago
World Boxing chief apologises for singling out Imane Khelif in sex testing policy
Imane Khelif (Image credit: Instagram)
World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst has issued a formal apology to Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif after she was singled out in a policy announcement regarding mandatory sex testing.
The Algerian boxer, who triumphed at the Paris 2024 Olympics amid eligibility scrutiny, was specifically named in World Boxing's press release last Friday unveiling its new gender verification policy. The move sparked backlash for violating athlete privacy.
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As per an AP report, in a letter addressed to the Algerian Boxing Federation, Van der Vorst acknowledged the mistake, writing, 'I am writing to you all personally to offer a formal and sincere apology for this and acknowledge that her privacy should have been protected.'
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He added that the organisation hoped this gesture would 'show our true respect to you and your athletes.'
World Boxing, which has been provisionally approved to govern boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, introduced a new rule mandating genetic testing from July 1 to verify the sex of all competitors aged 18 and above. The controversial policy aims to ensure fairness in male and female divisions, but has raised ethical and legal concerns.
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Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were both disqualified by the previous governing body, the IBA, ahead of the 2023 World Championships, but were cleared by the International Olympic Committee to compete in Paris.
Despite the controversy, Khelif is expected to return to the ring this month at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands and plans to defend her Olympic title at LA 2028.
