Latest news with #gendereligibility
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Leaked medical report 'proves Imane Khelif is a biological male' in bombshell claim about Olympic boxer
Results from boxer Imane Khelif's sex test at the 2023 World Championships have reportedly emerged, with the medical report allegedly suggesting the controversial Olympic champion is a biological male, according to various outlets. The alleged results comes less than two days after World Boxing ruled that Khelif would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in female events. Khelif won a women's boxing gold medal representing Algeria boxing at the Paris Games. Khelif was deemed eligible to compete in France despite having more than a year's previous knowledge about the the test, with IOC president Thomas Bach previously questioning the test's legitimacy. 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype,' the document, seen by 3 Wire Sports via Telegraph Sport, states. The results reportedly have a date of being collected of March 17, 2023 - the same year that Khelif was disqualigied by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the former governing body for the sport for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests. The alleged document is marked with the letterhead of Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, a laboratory which is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation. The report was initially published by the journalist Alan Abrahamson, who first brought reports of Khelif's alleged failed gender eligibility test to public attention at the Paris Games. Mail Sport has contacted Khelif's representatives for comment. Khelief has previously stated that she planned to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in three years time. World Boxing does have some Olympic authority, as they have been announced to provisionally run testing for the Los Angeles games, with any person over 18 required to undergo PCR testing to determine their sex. The governing body said the PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, with the SRY gene revealing the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be a be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood. The governing body said the testing will be part of a new policy on 'Sex, Age and Weight', which it claims will a safe and competitive playing field. World Boxing revealed the contents of a letter sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation, confirming Khelif is unable to compete in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event under she undergoes sex testing. 'Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures,' the letter read. 'In accordance with the World Boxing Statutes, amendments to the Competition Rules are typically made by Congress. However, under special or emergency circumstances, the World Boxing Executive Board holds the authority to make immediate amendments when a rule is deemed no longer functional or when evolving conditions necessitate a change. 'In May 2025, the Executive Board exercised this authority and adopted new eligibility criteria for participation in sex-specific boxing categories. These new eligibility rules were developed with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports, particularly given the physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing. 'Please be advised that, per World Boxing policy, '…in the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing, the athlete shall be ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved…' Khelif was not the only controversial boxer in Paris, as Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting also won a gold medal in women's boxing despite having been banned by the IBA in 2023.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif requires gender test to continue fighting
Algeria's Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening in order to participate in upcoming events, the sport's governing body said, as it introduced mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions. World Boxing announced the new policy on Friday and specifically mentioned Algeria's Khelif, who won the women's welterweight gold at the Paris Olympics last year and prompted a gender-eligibility row. 'Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at … any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures,' the organisation said in a statement. 'World Boxing has written to the Algerian Boxing Federation to inform it that Imane Khelif will not be allowed to participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes sex testing,' it added. World Boxing is responsible for organising bouts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee. Under the new policy, all athletes above the age of 18 who want to participate in a World Boxing-owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction genetic test, to determine what sex they were at birth and their eligibility to compete. The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be conducted by a nasal or mouth swab, or by taking a sample of saliva or blood. National federations will be responsible for testing and will be required to confirm the sex of their athletes when entering them into World Boxing competitions by producing certification of their chromosomal sex, as determined by a PCR test. Reuters news agency reported that Khelif could not be reached for comment, while the Algerian Boxing Federation did not immediately respond to questions about the development. Khelif said in March: 'For me, I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one.' 'I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships,' she said at the time. 'All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.' The 26-year-old is targeting a second gold medal at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles after her triumph in Paris. Her Olympic success, along with that of Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, led to a raging gender eligibility debate in Paris, with high-profile figures such as United States President Donald Trump and Elon Musk weighing in. In February, Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Khelif said she would not be intimidated by Trump as she is not transgender.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Khelif required to take sex test for World Boxing fights
Olympic champion Imane Khelif will not be allowed to fight in the female category at World Boxing competitions until she undergoes a mandatory sex 26, won women's welterweight gold at the Paris Olympics last year amid a row over gender Khelif, along with Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by previous world governing body the International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing gender eligibility was cleared to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which stripped the IBA of its status as the sport's amateur world governing body in June 2023 over concerns over how it was IOC said competitors were eligible for the women's division in Paris if their passports said they were Friday, World Boxing said that "all athletes over the age of 18" who wish to participate in competitions it owns or sanctions will "need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete".Khelif, had been set to make her competitive comeback at the Eindhoven Box Cup from 5-10 has always competed in the women's division and there is no suggestion she identifies as anything other than a reports took the IBA stating that Khelif has XY chromosomes to speculate she might have differences of sexual development (DSD) like runner Caster the BBC has not been able to confirm whether this is or is not the IOC made it clear last year this is "not a transgender case". What has World Boxing said? World Boxing was granted provisional recognition as the sport's international governing federation by the IOC in February 2025."The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on 'sex, age and weight' to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women," the World Boxing statement said."The policy is in the final stages of development and has been crafted by a specially convened working group of the World Boxing medical and anti-doping committee, which has examined data and medical evidence from an extensive range of sources and consulted widely with other sports and experts across the world."The statement added that World Boxing "respects the dignity of all individuals" and its overriding priority was "to ensure safety and competitive fairness to all athletes"."To do this, it is essential that strict categories, determined by sex are maintained and enforced, and means that World Boxing will only operate competitions for athletes categorised as male or female," it said."This decision reflects concerns over the safety and wellbeing of all boxers, including Imane Khelif, and aims to protect the mental and physical health of all participants."In its statement, World Boxing published a letter it had sent to both Khelif and the Algerian Boxing the letter World Boxing said the new eligibility rules were developed "with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports" given the "physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing".It also said in the letter that in "the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing" the athlete shall be "ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved". Background - Khelif's controversial gold The gender eligibility tests on Khelif that led to her disqualification from the 2023 World Championships were conducted by the Russian-led IBA said Khelif "failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in women's competition".The IOC questioned the legitimacy and credibility of the IBA's tests, saying they could not be relied and Lin both went on to win gold in Paris, with their story becoming the central focus of boxing at the games, attracting scrutiny and criticism from around the has featured at every Olympics since 1904, except 1912, but the IOC has run the sport at the past two sport was initially not part of the programme for LA 2028 when the schedule was first announced in the IOC granted provisional recognition for World Boxing as the sport's global governing body earlier this year before voting for its February 2025, the IBA launched a legal case against the IOC or allowing Khelif to compete citing safety concerns over gender called them "baseless accusations that are false and offensive". What is DSD? DSD is a group of rare conditions, whereby a person's hormones, genes and/or reproductive organs may be a mix of male and female of those affected prefer the term "intersex", which is an umbrella term used to describe people who are born with biological variations in their sex characteristics that don't fit typical male or female sports have rules in place for athletes with DSD, whose elevated testosterone levels can lead to increased muscle mass and Athletics, for example, only allows athletes with DSD to compete in female track events if they reduce their testosterone levels. How will testing take place? World Boxing provided a detailed explanation about the testing in its statement."The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex," it said."The test can be a be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood."Athletes that are deemed to be male at birth, as evidenced by the presence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenization occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category."Athletes that are deemed to be female at birth, as evidenced by the presence of XX chromosomes or the absence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a DSD where male androgenization does not occur, will be eligible to compete in the female category."Under the new policy, national federations will be responsible for testing and will be required to confirm the sex of their athletes when entering them into World Boxing competitions by providing a certification of their chromosomal sex, as determined by a PCR Boxing said failure to provide that will render the athlete "ineligible to compete" and may lead to sanctions against the athlete or their national organisation added: "Where test results for boxers that want to compete in the female category reveal Y chromosome genetic material and a potential DSD, the initial screenings will be referred to independent clinical specialists for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other valuation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists."As part of its new policy World Boxing will reserve the right to do genetic sex screening on new or existing athlete samples to confirm certification."The policy will include an appeals process. Support will be offered to any boxers that provide an adverse test result."
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
World Boxing to introduce mandatory sex-testing for all boxers
Algeria's Imane Khelif after winning the women's 66kg final at the Paris Olympics. Photo: AFP World Boxing will introduce mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions, adding that Paris Olympics gold medallist Imane Khelif will not be allowed to compete until she undergoes such a test. The global body, which will oversee boxing competitions in the 2028 Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the IOC, said it aims to deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women. The new policy comes less than a year after Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting both won gold in Paris amid a gender-eligibility row. "Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at... any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures," World Boxing said in a statement. World Boxing said it had written to the Algerian Boxing Federation stating that Khelif would not be allowed to compete at the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup from 5-10 June until she undergoes the test. Women's welterweight Olympic champion Khelif could not be reached for comment while the Algerian Boxing Federation did not immediately respond when contacted by Reuters. The country's federation joined World Boxing in September, one of more than 100 national federations that have joined the body since it was established in 2023. While amendments to competition rules are typically done by the World Boxing Congress, the new policy was adopted by the body's executive board which holds the authority to make immediate amendments under "special or emergency circumstances". "These new eligibility rules were developed with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports, particularly given the physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing," it added. All athletes over the age of 18 will have to undertake a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test, which can be conducted by a nasal or mouth swab, saliva or blood, World Boxing said. "The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex," World Boxing said. "Athletes that are deemed to be male at birth, as evidenced by the presence of Y chromosome... or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenization occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category. "Athletes that are deemed to be female at birth... or with a DSD where male androgenization does not occur, will be eligible to compete in the female category." In February, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. In March, Khelif said she was determined to defend her title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, adding that she would not be intimidated by Trump as she is not transgender. At the 2023 world championships, Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association after a test that the body said rendered her ineligible to fight as a woman on the grounds of gender. The IBA lost its Olympic recognition over governance issues, however, and the International Olympic Committee cleared Khelif to compete in Paris. - Reuters
Sky News
4 days ago
- Health
- Sky News
Imane Khelif will not be able to compete in female category at upcoming event due to new testing rules, body says
Boxing's new global governing body is introducing sex testing from July - but has already informed Imane Khelif she won't be eligible to compete as a female fighter at an event in the Netherlands next week. The Algerian's disputed failed gender eligibility test - conducted by a different controversial boxing body - was a major issue at the Paris Olympics before she won gold. World Boxing said its new policy "reflects concerns over the safety and wellbeing of all boxers, including Imane Khelif, and aims to protect the mental and physical health of all participants." This, it says, is "in light of some of the reactions that have been expressed in relation to the boxer's potential participation at the Eindhoven Box Cup." The governing body wrote to the Algerian Boxing Federation today to say: "Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025, and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures. "In accordance with the World Boxing Statutes, amendments to the Competition Rules are typically made by Congress. "However, under special or emergency circumstances, the World Boxing Executive Board holds the authority to make immediate amendments when a rule is deemed no longer functional or when evolving conditions necessitate a change. "In May 2025, the Executive Board exercised this authority and adopted new eligibility criteria for participation in sex-specific boxing categories."
