Los Angeles, Aug 21 (AP) The organization overseeing Olympic-style boxing has announced that it will mandate sex testing for all fighters aiming to compete in the women's division at its upcoming world championships. World Boxing revealed plans to implement polymerase chain reaction tests or similar genetic screenings to verify competitors’ sex at birth ahead of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England, taking place in early September, as stated on Wednesday.
The testing seeks to detect the presence or absence of Y chromosome genetic material as a definitive marker of biological sex.
"World Boxing values the dignity of every individual and aims to be as inclusive as possible," remarked Boris Van Der Vorst, president of World Boxing. "Nonetheless, as boxing is a combat sport, we have a duty to ensure safety and fairness in competition, principles that have heavily informed this policy's development."
Paris Olympic champion Imane Khelif from Algeria chose not to participate in a World Boxing event in the Netherlands last June following the organization's initial announcement of its sex testing plans. Van Der Vorst later issued an apology for singling out Khelif, who was initially set to compete, while discussing World Boxing's future testing protocols.
Khelif and fellow gold medalist Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan garnered significant achievements in Paris amidst scrutiny and public misunderstanding regarding their sexes. Khelif, 26, has consistently affirmed she was born female and has been active in women's amateur boxing for nearly ten years.
While chromosome testing was once widespread in Olympic sports throughout the 20th century, it was largely discontinued in the 1990s due to unclear results in numerous cases of differences in sex development. As a result, many sports transitioned to hormone tests to assess sex eligibility, yet these also pose complex issues regarding the qualifications of women with naturally high testosterone levels.
World Boxing has specified that athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) where male androgenization is present will only be allowed to compete in the men's category. Nevertheless, World Boxing assures extensive evaluation for those with Y chromosome genetic indicators wishing to compete in women's divisions. This examination includes genetic screenings, hormone profiles, anatomical assessments, and endrocine reviews by medical professionals, along with an appeals process.
National federations hold the responsibility for conducting and submitting test results, World Boxing stated.
Earlier, World Athletics— the governing body of track and field — became the inaugural Olympic sport to reinstitute chromosome testing, obligating athletes in women’s categories to undergo the test once per career, with a September 1 deadline for submission ahead of the world championships.
The last two Olympic boxing contests were operated by an IOC-established committee under previous sex eligibility measures. World Boxing, formed two years ago following its separation from the troubled International Boxing Association, is provisionally recognized by the IOC and is set to manage the next phase of Olympic qualifications leading up to the Los Angeles Games in 2028. AP SSC SSC.
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