The president of World Boxing has apologized after Olympic champion Imane Khelif was singled out in the governing body’s announcement to make sex testing mandatory.
Algerian boxer Khelif, who won gold at the Paris Games last summer amid scrutiny over her eligibility, was specifically mentioned when World Boxing released its new policy last Friday.
On Monday, its president Boris van der Vorst contacted the Algerian Boxing Federation to acknowledge that was wrong.
However, the International Olympic Committee applied sex eligibility rules used in previous Olympics and cleared Khelif and Lin to compete.
World Boxing has 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.
After Olympic champion Imane Khelif was singled out in the governing body’s announcement to require sex testing, the president of World Boxing issued an apology.
Last Friday, World Boxing announced its new policy, specifically mentioning Algerian boxer Khelif, who won gold at the Paris Games last summer despite being under scrutiny for her eligibility.
Its president Boris van der Vorst acknowledged that was incorrect in a phone call with the Algerian Boxing Federation on Monday.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, he stated, “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.”.
In addition, Van der Vorst expressed his hope that by “personally reaching out to you, we show our true respect to you and your athletes.”. “.”.
Since the International Boxing Association, the former Olympic boxing governing body, disqualified both Khelif and fellow Taiwanese gold medallist Lin Yu-ting from the 2023 world championships on the grounds that they failed an unidentified eligibility test, the two fighters were in the news in Paris.
Khelif and Lin were permitted to compete, though, after the International Olympic Committee applied the sex eligibility regulations from earlier Olympics.
Despite pressure from boxers and their federations to establish sex eligibility requirements, World Boxing has been granted provisional approval to serve as the boxing organizer for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
According to the statement, mandatory testing will be implemented for all boxers starting on July 1 in order to “ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women.”. “.”.
According to the governing body, all competitors who are older than eighteen must have their sex at birth determined by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test. The PCR test looks for chromosomal material in blood, saliva, or mouth swabs.
According to World Boxing, “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” if an athlete planning to compete in the women’s categories is found to have male chromosomal material. There is also an appeals procedure in the policy.
The L is where Khelif intends to defend her gold medal. A. games, but a few boxers have already voiced their opposition to her inclusion through their federations.
She had planned to compete internationally again this month in the Netherlands at the Eindhoven Box Cup.
