World Boxing mandates gender testing, bars Imane Khelif pending results

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif can't participate in the upcoming World Boxing competition until the boxer undergoes mandatory gender testing. — Image credit: Richard Pelham via Getty Images

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Summary

Gender eligibility

World Boxing has announced that all boxers, including Imane Khelif, must undergo mandatory gender testing before participating in competitions. This policy was explained as a measure to "ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women," according to the organization.

Olympic participation

Imane Khelif competed in the women's boxing event at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and won gold after being previously banned from the 2023 World Championships for not passing "gender eligibility tests." According to the article, Khelif had been allowed to compete in Paris despite earlier controversy.

Public controversy

Khelif's disqualification from the 2023 Women’s World Championships and subsequent victories sparked debate, particularly after DNA testing reportedly showed Khelif had XY chromosomes.

Full story

Imane Khelif’s participation in the upcoming World Boxing competition in the Netherlands next month, the Eindhoven Box Cup, is now on hold until the boxer undergoes mandatory gender testing, as announced by World Boxing on Friday, May 30. The announcement of mandatory sex testing for all boxers comes as the organization faces scrutiny over Khelif’s participation in the sport.

Khelif’s Olympic spotlight

Khelif gained international attention during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics after being allowed to compete in women’s boxing despite being banned from the 2023 World Championships for failing “gender eligibility tests.”

At the Paris Games, the Algerian boxer won the gold medal.

Past gender test sparked controversy

The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified Khelif during the Women’s World Championships in March 2023. Officials stated that Khelif failed to meet the gender eligibility requirements. The IBA said DNA tests found the boxer had XY chromosomes instead of XX.

However, some criticized the IBA’s results. Khelif was only asked to take a test after defeating an undefeated Russian fighter and advancing into the gold medal round. The International Olympic Committee also withdrew its recognition of the IBA due to concerns regarding finances, governance, ethics and judging. The IOC later called the tests “illegitimate.”

When questioned about gender, Khelif said in an interview, “I’m fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.”

Khelif’s name mentioned in World Boxing policy change press release

The controversy has not subsided.

World Boxing will oversee boxing events at the 2028 Olympics. The sport’s governing body announced it will require gender testing for all boxers effective immediately. The organization also specifically cited Khelif in its new policy.

According to the agency, it is implementing the testing to “ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive, level playing field for men and women.”

“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 upcoming boxing events until Khelif undergoes sex testing,” the press release stated.

Zachary Hill (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Boxing, chromosomes, Gender identity, Imane Khelif, Olympic Games, Olympics, World Boxing

[Karah Rucker]

IMANE KHELIF’S PARTICIPATION IN AN UPCOMING WORLD BOXING COMPETITION IN THE NETHERLANDS NEXT MONTH IS NOW ON HOLD –

UNTIL THE BOXER UNDERGOES MANDATORY GENDER TESTING ANNOUNCED BY WORLD BOXING FRIDAY.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MANDATORY SEX TESTS FOR **ALL BOXERS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY COMES AS THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN UNDER SCRUTINY OVER KHELIF’S PARTICIPATION IN THE SPORT.

KHELIF GAINED WORLDWIDE ATTENTION DURING THE PARIS SUMMER OLYMPICS –

AFTER THE ALGERIAN BOXER WAS PERMITTED TO COMPETE IN WOMEN’S BOXING –

AFTER BEING BANNED AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2023 OVER FAILING “GENDER ELIGIBILITY TESTS.”

AT THE PARIS GAMES – KHELIF WON GOLD.

KHELIF FACED CRITICISM AT THE TIME OVER COMPETING AGAINST WOMEN –

AFTER THE GENDER TEST khelif FAILED CAME BACK WITH “X-Y CHROMOSOMES,” MATCHING MALE GENETICS.

WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS OVER the GENDER controversy –

KHELIF SAID – “I’m fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.”

BUT THE CONTROVERSY NEVER WENT AWAY.

AND NOW “WORLD BOXING” – THE GOVERNING BODY THAT WILL ALSO BE RUNNING BOXING COMPETITIONS IN THE 2028 OLYMPICS –

SAYS GENDER TESTING IS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL BOXERS –

BUT ALSO SINGLED OUT KHELIF IN ITS ANNOUNCEMENT.

THE AGENCY SAYS –

THIS NEW MANDATORY TESTING WILL “ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL PARTICIPANTS AND DELIVER A COMPETITIVE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR MEN AND WOMEN.”

ADDING… “WORLD BOXING HAS WRITTEN TO THE ALEGERIAN BOXING FEDERATION TO INFORM IT THAT IMANE KHELIF WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEMALE CATEGORY” AT UPCOMING BOXING EVENTS ‘UNTIL KHELIF UNDERGOES SEX TESTING.”

THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF MANDATORY GENDER TESTING FOR BOXERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL COINCIDES WITH A BROADER NATIONAL DEBATE IN THE U.S. OVER TRANSGENDER ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS – AS PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING BIOLOGICAL MALES COMPETING IN FEMALE SPORTS – THREATENING FEDERAL FUNDING OTHERWISE.

CALIFORNIA BECAME THE LATEST STATE TO FACE SCRUTINY AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP TURNED NATIONAL ATTENTION TO THE STATE’S HIGH SCHOOL TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEKEND — WHERE A TRANSGENDER ATHLETE QUALIFIED AFTER PLACING FIRST PLACE IN BOTH THE LONG JUMP AND TRIPLE JUMP EVENTS.

YOU CAN FIND OUR FULL REPORT ON THIS STORY BY DOWNLOADING THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS MOBILE APP OR VISITING SAN.COM TO SEE HOW CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS RESPONDED.”

Why this story matters

Mandatory gender testing introduced by World Boxing, citing the case of Imane Khelif, highlights ongoing debates about gender eligibility, fairness, and inclusion in international sports competitions.

Gender eligibility

Gender eligibility remains a contentious issue as World Boxing implements mandatory testing policies and references the experiences of Imane Khelif.

Sporting fairness

The organization states its new policy aims to ensure a 'competitive level playing field for men and women,' underscoring concerns about fairness in female sporting categories.

Athlete rights

Imane Khelif's situation raises questions about the rights of athletes facing scrutiny and new regulations affecting their participation based on gender testing.

Get the big picture

Synthesized coverage insights across 54 media outlets

Diverging views

Articles classified as left highlight the history of discrimination against women and intersex athletes, question the scientific validity of mandatory testing, and emphasize Khelif’s personal statements. Right-leaning sources frame the new policy as a necessary step for fairness and safety, at times asserting or implying that Khelif is not female based on prior eligibility disputes, which some left sources characterize as misinformation.

Global impact

This policy signals a trend where international sports bodies are enacting stricter biological criteria for sex-segregated competition. The move has global implications, as it affects athletes from all countries wishing to compete in Olympic-level boxing. The decision is also influential in wider discussions about sex, gender, and fairness in other sports worldwide.

Oppo research

Opponents of mandatory sex testing argue it is invasive, lacks scientific nuance, and risks stigmatizing or unfairly excluding athletes with differences in sexual development or naturally high testosterone. Some critics also highlight the policy’s human rights implications and call for balancing competitive fairness with individual dignity and privacy.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame World Boxing’s mandatory sex testing as an intrusive, discriminatory imposition unfairly targeting Imane Khelif, emphasizing her lived female identity and portraying the policy as a punitive reaction to her success, using emotionally charged terms like “must undergo” and spotlighting “injustice."
Media outlets in the center offer a more neutral, fact-focused tone that acknowledges debate without emotive framing.
Media outlets on the right laud the new rules as vital safeguards for women’s sports, portraying the ban as a “haymaker” victory to protect “mental and physical health,” frequently deploying dismissive or skeptical language around gender identity, e.g., placing “male” in quotes to express disbelief.

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Media landscape

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89 total sources

Key points from the Left

Imane Khelif must undergo sex testing to compete in women’s events organized by World Boxing, following her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics last year.
World Boxing introduced mandatory sex testing to determine eligibility for male and female athletes in its competitions.
The governing body wrote to the Algerian Boxing Federation stating Khelif cannot compete until she completes the test.
World Boxing aims to ensure safety and fairness in competitions through these new sex testing rules.

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Key points from the Center

World Boxing banned Imane Khelif from competing at the Eindhoven Boxing Cup in June in the Netherlands.
This ban followed World Boxing's introduction of mandatory PCR genetic sex testing after controversies about Khelif's eligibility since 2023.
Khelif, a 26-year-old Algerian and 2024 Olympic gold medalist, was barred from competing in the 2023 World Championships after allegedly not meeting the gender eligibility requirements.
World Boxing requires athletes over 18 to submit a PCR test detecting the SRY gene on the Y chromosome to confirm sex and eligibility before competition.
Until Khelif completes this sex certification, she cannot compete in any World Boxing sanctioned women's event, signaling a new era of enforced gender verification.

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Key points from the Right

World Boxing announced mandatory gender tests for athletes, which affects Imane Khelif's ability to compete in the female category.
Imane Khelif must undergo the test to participate in the Eindhoven Box Cup, scheduled for June.
The new rules aim to safeguard athlete safety and combat sports integrity, addressing concerns raised during past controversies.
The International Boxing Federation stated that all over-18 athletes must complete a PCR test to compete in their events.

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