BOXING – WORLD Boxing has apologised after Imane Khelif was named in their announcement on mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions, saying the Paris Olympics gold medallist’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 (IOC), 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 apologise 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.
In a statement yesterday, the IOC said it “has always made it clear that eligibility criteria are the responsibility of the respective International Federation. The factors that matter to sports performance are unique to each sport, discipline, and/or event.
“We await the full details of how sex testing will be implemented in a safe, fair and legally enforceable way.”
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