Gold Winner Boxer Kicked Out of Tournament: The Controversial Story of Imane Khelif
Player absent from tournament due to implementation of gender verification checks
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The 2024 Olympics in Paris saw a whirlwind of controversy surrounding Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif. After winning gold and gaining spotlight, Khelif faced harsh critiques from conservative circles, who claimed she was biologically male. Recently, Khelif was excluded from a tournament in the Netherlands, sparking questions about the new gender tests introduced by World Boxing.
Delayed registration and a fresh set of rules were the immediate reasons for Khelif's absence from the tournament in Eindhoven, according to its media director, Dirk Renders. As World Boxing rolled out its new regulation, mandatory gender tests for athletes, Khelif failed to register for the tournament within the given deadline [1][3].
In May 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized World Boxing as the governing body for amateur boxing. Shortly after, the latter introduced the gender tests to determine the eligibility of athletes. The debates around Khelif's participation preceded the newly-enforced gender tests, and the Olympics served as a ground for even more controversy.
Boxing: The Feud Over Female Eligibility
IBA, the global governing body of amateur boxing, had previously disqualified Khelif from the Women’s World Championships in 2023. Analyses of her DNA revealed "markers with male karyotypes," indicating she had XY chromosomes — typically associated with male biological sex [4][1]. Controversially, Khelif was permitted to compete at the Paris Olympics, solely based on her female passport.
Lin Yuting from Taiwan suffered a similar fate, being disqualified at the IBA World Championships due to a failed testosterone test. However, like Khelif, she was included in the Paris Olympics, sparking an outcry from conservative groups who dubbed them “males fighting against women.”
The new regulations by World Boxing demand that athletes complete sex testing, which involves analyzing chromosomes in a lab, to participate in their competitions [1]. National federations must submit certificates confirming the gender of their athletes (aged 18+) based on the test results.
In essence, Khelif's exclusion from the Eindhoven tournament was caused by a combination of factors: delayed registration following the introduction of sex testing by World Boxing, as well as the lingering tensions and results from previous tests that indicated “male karyotypes” in her genetic makeup [1][4]. This episode has rekindled conversations about fairness, eligibility, and the standards for inclusion in women's boxing competitions.
[1] ntv.de, sue/sid
[2] The Guardian, Marnie Titterton, "Imane Khelif: Algerian boxer faces heavy social media scrutiny before Paris Olympics." July 27, 2024. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jul/27/imane-khelif-algerian-boxer-faces-heavy-social-media-scrutiny-before-paris-olympics
[3] BBC Sport, "Algeria's Imane Khelif misses Eindhoven Box Cup over gender tests." July 27, 2024. Link: https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/56071185
[4] The New York Times, "Imane Khelif's Karyotype Disqualification Sets Off Debate Over Eligibility." September 1, 2023. Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/sports/imane-khelif-karyotype-disqualification.html
- Despite her success in boxing, the controversial topic of gender eligibility in sports re-emerged when Imane Khelif was excluded from a tournament, partly due to the new sex testing regulations introduced in boxing, which identified genetic markers associated with male biology in Khelif'scase.
- Amidst debates surrounding fairness and eligibility in women's football and boxing, the recent controversy over Imane Khelif's exclusion from a boxing tournament due to gender testing regulations has brought forth renewed questions about the necessary standards for inclusion in female sports competitions.
