World Boxing Association bans males from women’s division, including Imane Khelif
World Boxing has banned males from competing in its women’s division, announcing new testing standards that will disqualify anyone with a male Y chromosome.
The association announced the new…
World Boxing has banned males from competing in its women’s division, announcing new testing standards that will disqualify anyone with a male Y chromosome.
The association announced the new standards Friday, addressing Algerian boxer Imane Khelif by name.
Khelif, who reportedly has XY chromosomes, won a women’s gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer, amid accusations that the boxer and fellow gold medalist Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan should not have been allowed to compete in the women’s division.
“This decision reflects concerns over the safety and well-being of all boxers, including Imane Khelif, and aims to protect the mental and physical 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,” World Boxing said in a release.
The governing body specifically banned Khelif from the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, June 5-10, where the boxer planned to defend a title from last year, OutKick reported.
“World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and its overriding priority is to ensure safety and competitive fairness to all athletes,” the statement continued. “To do this, it is essential that strict categories, determined by sex, are maintained and enforced, and means that World Boxing will only operate competitions for athletes categorized as male or female.”
Chromosome testing was common in Olympic sports until the 1990s, the Associated Press reported, when hormone testing became more common, such as for testosterone.
Earlier this year, the Olympic governing body for track and field, World Athletics, reintroduced chromosome testing.
World Boxing’s policy refers athletes who fail the initial screening to independent clinical specialists for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other evaluation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists. There is also an appeals process.
Photo credit: AP/John Locher
