FIBA suspends Algeria's Imane Khelif after failing gender test
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif
Algeria's Imane Khelif is through to the quarter-finals
PARIS (AP) — Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been suspended by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after she failed a gender test and was disqualified from the 2023 world championships.
Khelif, who is Africa’s top-ranked female boxer, has been an elite-level amateur boxer for a decade. She is the first Algerian female boxer to reach the final of a major international boxing tournament, having won silver at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
The IOC task force responsible for overseeing boxing at the 2023 world championships has disqualified Khelif from competition, according to a statement released by the IBA.
Khelif’s suspension is the latest in a series of gender-related controversies that have plagued the sport of boxing in recent years.
In 2012, South African boxer Caster Semenya was banned from competing in the 800 meters at the London Olympics because her testosterone levels were too high.
In 2019, the IBA issued a new set of rules that require female boxers to have their testosterone levels tested before they can compete.
The new rules have been criticized by some, who argue that they are discriminatory and that they will prevent transgender women from competing in the sport.
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