Boxer Imane Khelif Must Undergo Gender Test

(Imane Khelif at the 2024 Paris Olympics)

Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif is at the center of controversy and debate again after her gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics in women’s boxing.

The new body governing the sport, World Boxing, announced a new sex testing policy required for all boxers, requiring them to undergo genetic screening to determine eligibility. Imane Khelif was specially called out by the World Boxing.

As a result of the new policy, Khelif is barred from participating in World Boxing events until she undergoes and passes the mandatory sex test. World Boxing has written to the Algerian Boxing Federation saying Khelif cannot participate in the female category until she undergoes screening.

Khelif’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics has drawn significant attention following her disqualification by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023, after reportedly failing a gender eligibility test. The decision has sparked ongoing debate over the criteria for gender classification in international sports and raised broader questions about inclusion and fairness in women’s boxing.

World Boxing has announced that all athletes over the age of 18 must undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to determine sex at birth in order to compete. The test detects the presence of the SRY gene, typically found on the Y chromosome, which is key in the development of male sex characteristics. Samples may be collected via nasal or oral swab, saliva, or blood. According to World Boxing, athletes identified as male at birth—indicated by the presence of the SRY gene or conditions involving male androgenisation due to differences in sexual development (DSD)—will be eligible to compete in the male category.