By Oliver Brown
Imane Khelif, whose gold medal at last year’s Paris Olympics caused a global scandal, has been banned from competing in all future World Boxing events in the women’s category unless the Algerian can provide proof of being biologically female.
In a major development, World Boxing has bowed to intense pressure from campaigners for safety and fairness in women’s sport, many of whom had expressed outrage that Khelif was being allowed to compete again in the female division at next week’s Eindhoven World Cup in The Netherlands.
The international governing body announced that Khelif, who was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after tests indicated the presence of male chromosomes, would need to pass mandatory sex screening to be deemed eligible.
So far, Khelif has not submitted to any such test in the nine months since a hugely controversial Olympic campaign, in which beaten Italian opponent Angela Carini said she had feared for her life.
Instead the 26-year-old’s efforts have been directed towards lawsuits against JK Rowling and Elon Musk and a heavily made-up appearance on the cover of Vogue Algeria. Khelif had pledged to defend Olympic gold at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, but that route appears to have been irrevocably closed off.
“The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,” World Boxing said in a statement. “The fighters’ national federations will be responsible for administering the tests and providing the results to World Boxing.”
Imane Khelif celebrates winning the gold medal in Paris.Credit: Eddie Jim
The organisation confirmed that the decision was taken in response to “the particular circumstances around some boxers”: namely, Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, both of whom had been banned by the International Boxing Association after failing sex eligibility tests, but who were permitted to fight in Paris last year after the International Olympic Committee decided that womanhood could be determined by passport status rather than biology.
World Boxing, provisionally approved to run the next Olympic event, confirmed it had informed Khelif and the Algerian federation of the shift in policy.
“Imane Khelif may not compete in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or in any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic screening in accordance with World Boxing’s rules and testing procedures,” it said.
It was striking how scrupulously the statement avoided referring to Khelif – reported by the IBA as recording tests that showed XY chromosomes, the male pattern – as “she” or “her” at any stage. Khelif has vigorously contested the IBA’s findings, declaring in a recent interview: “I see myself as a girl just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one.”
World Boxing feared tournament turning into circus
As late as Tuesday, officials at the Eindhoven event were still enthusiastically promoting Khelif’s involvement, releasing a poster with the caption: “Proud that Imane Khelif is there again to defend her title.”
That provoked a fierce backlash, with women’s rights groups in the Netherlands pledging to stage protests on site. Within 48 hours, World Boxing, which feared the tournament turning into a circus, chose to issue a policy update that it had first promised in February.
“This decision reflects concerns over the safety and well-being of all boxers, including Imane Khelif,” it said.
“It aims to protect the physical and mental health of all participants in light of some of the reactions that have been expressed in relation to the boxer’s potential participation at the Eindhoven Box Cup.”
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