Latest news with #sexTesting
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Olympic champ Imane Khelif skips Eindhoven event after World Boxing introduces mandatory sex testing
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. 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. 'The decision of Imane's exclusion is not ours. We regret it,' tournament media director Dirk Renders told The Associated Press. 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. Eindhoven mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem criticized World Boxing's decision. '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.' 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. 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. 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. Its president, Boris van der Vorst, apologized after Khelif was singled out in the governing body's announcement last week. Khelif planned to defend her gold medal at the LA Games, but some boxers and their federations have already spoken out against her inclusion. ___
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
World Boxing apologises for naming Imane Khelif in gender testing rule change
World Boxing has apologised for naming Imane Khelif last week while announcing the introduction of mandatory sex testing. When the governing body released its new policy, it named Khelif, who won Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games amid a gender row. World Boxing said the Algerian will not be allowed to compete in its female categories without first undergoing a sex test. However, the governing body has now told the BBC that its president, Boris van der Vorst, has sent a written apology to the Algerian Boxing Federation. In his letter, Van der Vorst said 'the athlete's privacy should have been protected', per the BBC. Khelif, 26, won gold in the women's welterweight category at last summer's Olympics, while Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting became featherweight champion. Each boxer's success was overshadowed over the course of the Olympics, due to their respective disqualifications from the 2023 World Championship. The International Boxing Association (IBA), which oversaw that competition, alleged that both fighters had failed gender eligibility tests, leading to their disqualifications. The IBA previously oversaw Olympic boxing, too, but was removed ahead of the 2020 Games due to concerns about the organisation's finances and links to Russia, and due to fears of corruption. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said boxers could compete in the women's categories in Paris if their passports said they were female. Khelif was born and raised as a woman and has never identified as transgender or intersex. She was due to return to action in the Netherlands between 5 and 10 June, but on Friday, World Boxing announced the introduction of mandatory sex testing 'to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women'. A statement added: 'In light of plans to introduce this policy and the particular circumstances surrounding some boxers that competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 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. '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 light of some of the reactions that have been expressed in relation to the boxer's potential participation at the Eindhoven Box Cup.' World Boxing also said '[in] the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing, [the athlete will be] ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved'. The IOC granted World Boxing provisional recognition as the sport's international governing body in February. The Algerian Boxing Federation joined World Boxing in September.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Health
- CNN
World Boxing apologizes after naming Imane Khelif in mandatory sex testing announcement
World Boxing has apologized after Imane Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing for all boxers in their competitions, saying the Paris Olympics gold medalist's privacy should have been protected. The global body, which will oversee boxing competitions in the 2028 Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee, made the announcement last week, less than a year after Khelif won gold in Paris amid a gender-eligibility row. The announcement specifically said the body had sent a letter to the Algerian Boxing Federation saying Khelif 'may not participate in the female category' of any World Boxing event until she undergoes the test. However, a source said World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst had personally written to Algerian Boxing Federation president Abdelkader Abbas to apologize for including Khelif's name. Van der Vorst said World Boxing should have made a greater effort to protect Khelif's privacy. In last week's announcement, World Boxing said 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. Khelif and the Algerian Boxing Federation could not be immediately reached for comment. 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.
CNN
04-06-2025
- Health
- CNN
World Boxing apologizes after naming Imane Khelif in mandatory sex testing announcement
World Boxing has apologized after Imane Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing for all boxers in their competitions, saying the Paris Olympics gold medalist's privacy should have been protected. The global body, which will oversee boxing competitions in the 2028 Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee, made the announcement last week, less than a year after Khelif won gold in Paris amid a gender-eligibility row. The announcement specifically said the body had sent a letter to the Algerian Boxing Federation saying Khelif 'may not participate in the female category' of any World Boxing event until she undergoes the test. However, a source said World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst had personally written to Algerian Boxing Federation president Abdelkader Abbas to apologize for including Khelif's name. Van der Vorst said World Boxing should have made a greater effort to protect Khelif's privacy. In last week's announcement, World Boxing said 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. Khelif and the Algerian Boxing Federation could not be immediately reached for comment. 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.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
World Boxing apologises for naming Imane Khelif in gender testing rule change
World Boxing has apologised for naming Imane Khelif last week while announcing the introduction of mandatory sex testing. When the governing body released its new policy, it named Khelif, who won Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games amid a gender row. World Boxing said the Algerian will not be allowed to compete in its female categories without first undergoing a sex test. However, the governing body has now told the BBC that its president, Boris van der Vorst, has sent a written apology to the Algerian Boxing Federation. In his letter, Van der Vorst said 'the athlete's privacy should have been protected', per the BBC. Khelif, 26, won gold in the women's welterweight category at last summer's Olympics, while Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting became featherweight champion. Each boxer's success was overshadowed over the course of the Olympics, due to their respective disqualifications from the 2023 World Championship. The International Boxing Association (IBA), which oversaw that competition, alleged that both fighters had failed gender eligibility tests, leading to their disqualifications. The IBA previously oversaw Olympic boxing, too, but was removed ahead of the 2020 Games due to concerns about the organisation's finances and links to Russia, and due to fears of corruption. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said boxers could compete in the women's categories in Paris if their passports said they were female. Khelif was born and raised as a woman and has never identified as transgender or intersex. She was due to return to action in the Netherlands between 5 and 10 June, but on Friday, World Boxing announced the introduction of mandatory sex testing 'to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women'. A statement added: 'In light of plans to introduce this policy and the particular circumstances surrounding some boxers that competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 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. '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 light of some of the reactions that have been expressed in relation to the boxer's potential participation at the Eindhoven Box Cup.' World Boxing also said '[in] the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing, [the athlete will be] ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved'. The IOC granted World Boxing provisional recognition as the sport's international governing body in February. The Algerian Boxing Federation joined World Boxing in September.
