Olympic gold physician Algerian Imane Khelif World Boxing said it will be banned from boxing competitions around the world until boxers conduct newly authorized genetic testing. The organization announced Friday that it will introduce mandatory sexual tests to determine the eligibility of male and female boxers who wish to compete.
World Boxing says Khelif will be under a sexual test after the boxer’s potential participation in the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup in June has sparked concerns. The group said it contacted the Algerian Boxing Federation to let it know that Khelif will not allow participation in the women’s category in any world boxing competition until a sexual test is conducted.
“Imane Khelif may not participate in the Eindhoven Box Cup and any world boxing incidents from June 5 to 10, 2025 until Imane Khelif performs genetic screening based on the rules and testing procedures for world boxing,” said Imane Khelif, who may not participate in the Eindhoven Box Cup category. ”
The decision to authorize the test is due in part to the controversy around it Khelif Boxer after winning the gold medal Paris Olympics.
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Khelif’s misunderstanding of gender has been rigorously scrutinized, driven by the claims of the International Boxing Association, which was permanently banned from the Olympics, believes that both Khelif and another boxer failed the unspecified qualification test of women’s competition at last year’s World Championships.
Khelif boxed on the international stage for many years until the year before the Olympics, when they were disqualified from the IBA World Championships.
World Boxing says athletes need to take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic tests to determine gender and competitive eligibility at birth. The test can be performed through a nose/mouth swab, saliva or blood, revealing the presence of the Y chromosome. The results will determine the biological gender.
Research shows that PCR tests to determine gender are highly accurate. A 2023 study published in genes found that gender assessments were 72% accurate and 97% accuracy for adults.
“World boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and its most important priority is to ensure safety and competitive equity for all athletes,” the organization said in a statement.
CBS News contacted Algerian Boxing Federation for comment.
The mandatory testing process will begin on July 1, 2025.
