World Boxing has issued an apology to the Algerian Boxing Federation after acknowledging it was inappropriate to single out Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in a public statement about new mandatory gender testing requirements for athletes.
The international federation recently introduced a policy requiring all boxers over the age of 18 competing in World Boxing-sanctioned events to undergo a genetic test to determine eligibility based on sex at birth. The decision follows ongoing controversy surrounding gender eligibility in the sport, particularly after the disqualification of prominent athletes, including Khelif, from past competitions.
Khelif, a women’s welterweight gold medallist at last year’s Paris Olympics, had been notified by World Boxing that she would need to undergo the test to compete at the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, scheduled for June 5–10. However, the federation later admitted that it was wrong to name her in the initial announcement.
“The president of World Boxing does not think it was correct to have named a specific athlete in a statement issued last Friday,” the organisation said on Wednesday. “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.”
Under the new rules, athletes must undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to determine chromosomal sex, specifically detecting the SRY gene found on the Y chromosome. The test, which can be carried out via a nasal or mouth swab, or with saliva or blood samples, is designed to confirm whether an athlete is biologically male or female.
National federations will be tasked with carrying out the tests and must provide official certification when registering athletes for competition.
Khelif, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, had previously been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA) over gender eligibility concerns. Their cases ignited widespread public debate, attracting comments from global figures including US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
The IBA, formerly the primary governing body of amateur boxing, has faced mounting criticism over governance, financial mismanagement, and ethical issues. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has since cut ties with the IBA and granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, which will now oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.