World Boxing Apologizes After Naming Khelif in Gender Policy Rollout

World Boxing has issued an apology to Algeria’s boxing federation after publicly naming Olympic champion Imane Khelif in its announcement of a new genetic sex testing policy. The policy mandates chromosome testing for athletes over 18 to determine sex eligibility, sparking renewed controversy over gender verification in sports. However, World Boxing’s decision to name Khelif in the announcement placed her under renewed scrutiny. Khelif, who was raised and has always identified as female, was disqualified in 2023 by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing eligibility tests. The Russia-affiliated IBA has since been banned from governing boxing-related matters after it was deemed guilty of misconduct. Khelif had competed without issue until the 2023 incident and was reinstated by the International Olympic Committee after the IBA’s ban.

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