The International Boxing Association has established that the Algerian boxing Imane Khelif He will not be able to participate in the boxing World Cup, which will take place from 8 to 16 March in the Serbian city of Niš. “Does not satisfy the criteria of suitability“, They let the Federation know, his testosterone levels are too high.
It is not the first time that has happened, already in 2023 at Khelif had been prevented from competing at the World Championships in New Delhi. The Secretary General and CEO of the IBA, Chris Robertshe said that the organization’s suitability tests will continue during the women’s world championships this year, asserting that “IMANE KHELIF is not suitable for our world championships, it does not meet the admissibility criteria. Our technical regulation clearly establishes the requirements and criteria for the event; We conduct gender suitability tests randomly and we will conduct them during the world championships here, “he said during a press conference in Nis.
No World Cup, therefore, for the winner of the Olympic gold in Paris in the 57 kg category. News that arrives a few months after the Taiwanese retreat Lin Yu Tingthe other “hyperandrogin” boxer with high levels of testosterone winner of gold in the 66 kg category; Taiwanese retired last November from the World Cup finals organized to Sheffield by World Boxinganother boxing organization.
This new exclusion brings to the center of attention the question of equity in women’s sports competitions and the management of athletes with variations in sexual characteristics. Just a few days ago Donald Trump had signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from participation in women’s competitions.
Some sports organizations adopt more “inclusive” criteria, such as the International Olympic Committee (COI), which allowed the Khelif to participate in the Olympics by defining the tests carried out by the IBA in 2023 “defective and illegitimate”, allowing the athlete to compete. Unlike the coi, theIba and the World Boxing They impose rigid standards on the hormonal levels of the athletes, which lead to the exclusion of hyperandrogine boxers (sometimes also defined as intersex), which thanks to higher levels of male hormones obtain an objective advantage compared to competitors with standard hormonal levels.
