Imane Khelif, the Olympic champion in the -66 kilos category in Paris, will not be competing in the next world championship. The World Cup, scheduled to take place in the Serbian town of Niš from March 8 to 16, will not feature the Olympic gold medalist. This is not the first time Khelif has faced issues with competing, as she was also barred from participating in the 2023 World Cup event due to failing gender eligibility tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The Algerian fighter gained significant attention during the Olympic Games due to her status as a hyperandrogenous woman. Despite the IBA’s initial decision to not allow her to participate, the International Olympic Committee authorized her presence in Paris. However, the IBA has once again decided that Khelif does not meet the eligibility criteria for their world championships. According to Chris Roberts, the Secretary General and CEO of the IBA, “Imane Khelif is not eligible for our world championships; she does not meet the eligibility criteria.” He further emphasized that the technical rules of the IBA clearly outline the eligibility requirements and criteria for the event.
Prior to the Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee dismissed the IBA’s gender eligibility tests, deeming them “defective and illegitimate.” As a result, both Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting, who had also allegedly failed the IBA’s gender eligibility test, were allowed to compete in the women’s category. A medical report leaked after the games revealed that Khelif has a “5-alfa reductase deficiency,” a sexual development disorder that exclusively affects biologically male individuals. The IBA’s decision to bar Khelif from competing has sparked controversy, with some questioning the validity of their eligibility criteria. Nevertheless, the organization remains firm in its stance, citing its technical rules as the basis for its decision.