World Boxing have announced new policies that require all female competitors to undergo gender tests.
In announcing the new rules the sport’s governing body specifically highlighted the status of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif whose gender was questioned when she completed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Khelif has always maintained she is female, and has never identified as being transgender or intersex. But there was speculation in the lead up to the Olympics that she may have a previously undiagnosed disorder of sexual development.
The athlete faced a wave on online abuse and later filed an online harassment complaint with French authorities that named high profile commentators including author J.K Rowling and business mogul Elon Musk.
“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,” World Boxing said in a statement.
They continued on explaining the new approach.
“World Boxing’s new polcy and the introducition of testing will mean that all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex 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 a be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood.” World Boxing said.
The new rules comes into effect on 1st July 2025.
