The Algerian Boxing Federation has spoken out strongly against the public disclosure of Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif’s alleged medical information, claiming it has inflicted significant “psychological damage” on the athlete.
In a letter addressed to World Boxing, the Algerian Boxing Federation’s president stated that naming Khelif in connection with mandatory sex testing announcements had “created psychological damage to our athlete” and that the “consequences are immeasurable.”
The controversy surrounding Khelif, 26, began when she was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA). According to reports from 3 Wire Sports, a medical test allegedly revealed a “male karyotype” – an XY chromosome pair – though the IBA stated that athletes “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential.”
Despite this previous disqualification, Khelif was permitted to compete in the Paris Olympics where she won gold in the women’s welterweight division. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) classified gender based on passport information, which in Khelif’s case identified her as female.
“This is not a transgender case, this is about a woman taking part in a women’s competition,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement during the Games. During the Olympics, Khelif’s father also produced what was described as a birth certificate recording the boxer as female.
The controversy has resurfaced with World Boxing’s recent announcement of mandatory sex testing for all athletes over 18 years old. Beginning July 1, competitors will need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and eligibility.
In response to the announcement, World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst has since apologized to the Algerian Boxing Federation, acknowledging that “the athlete’s privacy should have been protected.”
Khelif will miss the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup after missing the registration deadline. The tournament’s media director, Dirk Renders, stated: “The decision of Imane’s exclusion is not ours. We regret it.”
The mayor of Eindhoven, Joren Dijsselbloem, has expressed opposition to World Boxing’s ruling, writing in a letter: “As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven. Excluding athletes based on controversial ‘gender tests’ certainly does not fit in with that.”
The Algerian Boxing Federation’s letter also indicated that they would not “examine” any previous results, suggesting that Khelif’s Olympic gold medal will stand despite the ongoing controversy.
World Boxing, which has been provisionally recognized as the sport’s international governing federation for the next Olympics by the IOC, has faced criticism for its handling of the situation, particularly regarding privacy concerns for the athletes involved.
