World Boxing introducing gender tests for all boxers, targets Khelif / Photo: MOHD RASFAN - AFP/File
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World Boxing introducing gender tests for all boxers, targets Khelif
World Boxing announced on Friday it will introduce mandatory gender testing to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes wanting to take part in its competitions.
The international federation said it was introducing the policy after the furore surrounding boxers including women's welterweight gold medallist Imane Khelif of Algeria at the Paris Olympics last year.
World Boxing will organise the boxing competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee.
World Boxing said it had informed the Algerian Boxing Federation that Khelif would have to undergo the test if she wanted to compete at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands on June 5-10.
"World Boxing has written to the Algerian Boxing Federation to inform it that Imane Khelif will not be allowed to participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes sex testing," it said in a statement.
Under the new policy, all athletes over 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction genetic test, to determine what sex they were at birth and their eligibility to compete.
The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex.
The test can be conducted by a nasal or mouth swab, or by taking a sample of saliva or blood.
National federations will be responsible for testing and will be required to confirm the sex of their athletes when entering them into World Boxing competitions by producing certification of their chromosomal sex, as determined by a PCR test.
T.Menon--MT
