Latest news with #WorldBoxing
Hindustan Times
2 minutes ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Huge setback for Imane Khelif as sex test mandatory for Women's Boxing in World Championship
The governing body of World Boxing announced this week that all athletes competing in the women's division at its 2026 World Championships will undergo mandatory sex testing. The decision builds on the organisation's previously announced policy and aims to set a uniform eligibility standard for women's boxing competitors. Imane Khelif of Algeria(REUTERS) The testing will involve a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or an equivalent genetic screening test to determine the presence or absence of Y chromosome material, which World Boxing will use to define an athlete's biological sex at birth. National federations will be tasked with conducting the tests and submitting the results before the competition, which is scheduled to take place in early September 2026 at Liverpool. 'World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible,' said president Boris Van Der Vorst. 'Yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.' Athletes found to have Y chromosome material will not be automatically barred from competition in the women's division. However, those with differences in sex development (DSD) involving male androgenization will only be allowed to compete in the men's category unless further evaluations are completed. World Boxing will offer additional analysis that includes genetic screening, hormone profiling, anatomical examinations and assessments by endocrine specialists. An appeals process will also be available. This move follows a broader trend among international sports federations. World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, recently reintroduced chromosome testing and now requires athletes in women's events to undergo testing once in their careers, with a deadline set for September 1. A huge setback for Imane Khelif? The policy could have direct implications for Imane Khelif, the reigning Olympic champion from Algeria. Khelif declined to compete in a World Boxing event in the Netherlands this past June, shortly after the initial announcement of the testing protocol. She has long maintained that she was born a woman and has competed in women's amateur boxing for nearly ten years. Her career has come under intense scrutiny due to persistent speculation about her sex, much of which she has publicly refuted. Khelif's absence from the June tournament came shortly after Van Der Vorst named her specifically while discussing future testing plans, prompting the president to issue a public apology. The situation highlighted the emotional and reputational toll that such policies can have on individual athletes, particularly those already under the microscope. Along with Khelif, fellow Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan also faced heightened public attention during the Paris Games, further fueling debate about sex eligibility in elite women's sports.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Olympic champion Khelif denies ‘malicious' claims of retirement
OLYMPIC boxing champion Imane Khelif has denied claims made by her former manager that she has retired from the sport, saying she is still training regularly. Algerian Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were in the spotlight at the Paris Games last year over their eligibility after they had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which said sex chromosome tests had ruled them ineligible. However, they competed in the women's category in Paris after being cleared by the International Olympic Committee, with both winning gold medals in their weight classes. Khelif has not competed since her win in Paris. In an interview with French newspaper Nice-Matin on Wednesday, Khelif's former manager Nasser Yesfah said she had 'left the world of boxing'. In a follow-up interview with the same newspaper hours later, Yesfah clarified he was only referring to Khelif's boxing commitments in the city of Nice, where she was previously part of the Nice Azur club. Khelif criticised Yesfah's comments in a post on Facebook on Wednesday. 'It is based solely on statements made by a person who no longer represents me in any way, and whom I consider to have betrayed my trust and my country with his false and malicious statements,' Khelif wrote. 'I have never announced my retirement from boxing. I remain committed to my sporting career, training regularly and maintaining my physical fitness between Algeria and Qatar in preparation for upcoming events. 'The publication of such rumours is intended solely to disrupt and damage my sporting and professional career.' Khelif had been due to compete in a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, but opted to skip it shortly after the governing body initially announced its plans to introduce sex testing for all boxers in its competitions. World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst later apologised after Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing, saying her privacy should have been protected. Khelif, 26, has repeatedly said she was born a woman and has a long history in female boxing competitions. In March, she said she would defend her title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. - Reuters
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Khelif denies ‘malicious' claims of retirement
OLYMPIC boxing champion Imane Khelif has denied claims made by her former manager that she has retired from the sport, saying she is still training regularly. Algerian Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were in the spotlight at the Paris Games last year over their eligibility after they had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which said sex chromosome tests had ruled them ineligible. However, they competed in the women's category in Paris after being cleared by the International Olympic Committee, with both winning gold medals in their weight classes. Khelif has not competed since her win in Paris. In an interview with French newspaper Nice-Matin on Wednesday, Khelif's former manager Nasser Yesfah said she had 'left the world of boxing'. In a follow-up interview with the same newspaper hours later, Yesfah clarified he was only referring to Khelif's boxing commitments in the city of Nice, where she was previously part of the Nice Azur club. Khelif criticised Yesfah's comments in a post on Facebook on Wednesday. 'It is based solely on statements made by a person who no longer represents me in any way, and whom I consider to have betrayed my trust and my country with his false and malicious statements,' Khelif wrote. 'I have never announced my retirement from boxing. I remain committed to my sporting career, training regularly and maintaining my physical fitness between Algeria and Qatar in preparation for upcoming events. 'The publication of such rumours is intended solely to disrupt and damage my sporting and professional career.' Khelif had been due to compete in a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, but opted to skip it shortly after the governing body initially announced its plans to introduce sex testing for all boxers in its competitions. World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst later apologised after Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing, saying her privacy should have been protected. Khelif, 26, has repeatedly said she was born a woman and has a long history in female boxing competitions. In March, she said she would defend her title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. - Reuters
The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Olympic champion Imane Khelif denies 'malicious' claims of retirement
Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has denied claims made by her former manager that she has retired from the sport, saying she is still training regularly. Algerian Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were in the spotlight at the Paris Games last year over their eligibility after they had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which said sex chromosome tests had ruled them ineligible. However, they competed in the women's category in Paris after being cleared by the International Olympic Committee, with both winning gold medals in their weight classes. Khelif has not competed since her win in Paris. In an interview with French newspaper Nice-Matin on Wednesday, Khelif's former manager Nasser Yesfah said she had "left the world of boxing". In a follow-up interview with the same newspaper hours later, Yesfah clarified he was only referring to Khelif's boxing commitments in the city of Nice, where she was previously part of the Nice Azur club. Khelif criticised Yesfah's comments in a post on Facebook on Wednesday. "It is based solely on statements made by a person who no longer represents me in any way, and whom I consider to have betrayed my trust and my country with his false and malicious statements," Khelif wrote. "I have never announced my retirement from boxing. I remain committed to my sporting career, training regularly and maintaining my physical fitness between Algeria and Qatar in preparation for upcoming events. "The publication of such rumours is intended solely to disrupt and damage my sporting and professional career." Khelif had been due to compete in a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, but opted to skip it shortly after the governing body initially announced its plans to introduce sex testing for all boxers in its competitions. World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst later apologised after Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing, saying her privacy should have been protected. Khelif, 26, has repeatedly said she was born a woman and has a long history in female boxing competitions. In March, she said she would defend her title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ajay Singh re-elected boxing federation president in polls delayed by almost five months
Ajay Singh was re-elected President of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for a third consecutive term on Thursday, in polls delayed by almost five months due to legal issues between various competing factions. Singh, representing Uttarakhand, defeated former boxer Jaslal Pradhan, from the Sikkim unit, 40-26 in the election conducted in the presence of Returning Officer Rajesh Tandon and BFI interim committee head Fairuz Mohammed of Singapore, who was sent by World Boxing as an observer. World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst and secretary General Mike McAtee, who were originally named as observers, did not attend the election. The union sports ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also didn't send any observers. Singh, who is also the managing director of SpiceJet Airlines, will be joined by a new secretary general in Pramod Kumar of Uttar Pradesh, who succeeds Assam's Hemanta Kalita after defeating Digvijay Singh 36-30. Kalita was ineligible to contest after serving two consecutive four-year terms as an office-bearer and must now undergo a mandatory cooling-off period. Tamil Nadu's Pon Baskaran was elected treasurer after a three-way battle with Anil Kumar Bohidar and R Gopu. 'I'm just happy that we get to continue the good work that the BFI has been doing for the past eight years,' Singh was quoted as saying by PTI. 'We want to ensure that our boxers get many more opportunities and get to bring Olympic medals for the country.' Talking about his plans in his third term in office, Singh said: 'My foremost commitment is to ensure that every ounce of energy now goes into strengthening grassroots programmes, empowering our junior and youth athletes, and building on India's growing stature in world boxing.' The results, however, remain subject to the outcome of an ongoing case in the Delhi High Court, where several state units have challenged the constitutional amendments introduced by the interim committee that had been overseeing BFI's daily affairs. The elections were initially scheduled for March 28 but were repeatedly stalled due to a series of petitions, appeals and counter-appeals. After the constitutional amendments that prevented Anurag Thakur from fighting for the BFI President's post, the ministry said it will adopt a wait-and-watch approach. 'We have already told the Delhi High Court that we do not think that the procedure followed in the conduct of these elections is right. We will wait now and see what the court says,' a source in the union sports ministry said on Thursday when asked why there was no government observer at the elections. The High Court has set September 23 as the next date of hearing.
