 "Imane Khelif during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Image: Reuters")
World Boxing has apologised to the Algerian Boxing Federation after it named Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in a statement about a new sex-testing rule. The global body had earlier said that all male and female boxers must take a gender test if they want to take part in its competitions.
Khelif, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, was mentioned in the announcement as someone who would need to take the test before the Eindhoven Box Cup, which is happening from 5 June to 10 June in the Netherlands.
“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,” the statement from the World Boxing read.
World Boxing apologises
But after criticism from Algeria, World Boxing admitted it was wrong to name her. The global body wrote a letter to the President of the Algerian Boxing Federation to offer a formal apology.
“As part of this statement, World Boxing identified a specific individual by name. World Boxing recognises that it should not have named the person and, as a result, the President of World Boxing has written personally to the President of the Algerian Boxing Federation to offer a formal and sincere apology which acknowledges that greater effort should have been made to avoid linking the policy to any individual,” World Boxing said in its follow-up statement.
Algerian federation hits back
The Algerian Boxing Federation is reportedly angry with World Boxing. They have said that naming Khelif ‘created psychological damage to our athlete.’ They also said that she has the ‘right to defend herself’ and added that ‘consequences are immeasurable.’
Meanwhile, a leaked medical report from 2023 claimed Khelif was “biologically male.” It said her chromosomes showed a male pattern (XY). This has led to more public debate, including calls from people like JK Rowling to take away her Olympic gold medal. However, World Boxing said that past results of boxers will not be reviewed.
Impact Shorts
View AllThis is the not the first time Khelif has come under the light. She and along with Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by World Boxing’s predecessor International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
Despite this, Khelif was allowed by the new governing body to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which created a lot of controversy at the time. She went on to win the gold medal in the women’s 66 kg boxing event.