World Boxing has announced new regulations which will require all fighters looking to compete in female categories to provide chromosome verification before stepping into the ring. The decision comes after a number of debates at last year’s Paris Olympics.
The new rules will come into effect at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, which is set to take place in early September. The national federations will be responsible for conducting the tests and then submitting the relevant documents to confirm the results.
The tests will identify whether the Y chromosome genetic material is present within a fighter, which would then indicate the biological sex of those looking to step into the ring.
Announcing the new regulations, a statement from World Boxing read: “The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women.
“The fighters’ national federations will be responsible for administering the tests and providing the results to World Boxing.”
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst also reiterated the reason for the new changes, he said: “World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible, yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.
“It has been a long and detailed process, but it was vital that we examined all of the medical, legal and sporting issues raised by this issue and I am confident that in introducing testing to certify the eligibility of an athlete to compete as a male or female, the new policy on ‘Sex Age and Weight’ will deliver sporting integrity and protect the safety of all participants.
“We recognize that the issues relating to eligibility in boxing are more pronounced in the women’s events, which is why we have made the decision to implement the policy in the female category first.”
The announcement follows the controversy at last year’s Olympics in which Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won gold medals, despite how the International Boxing Association disqualified them from the 2023 world championships because they allegedly failed gender tests. The Olympic Committee allowed both boxers to compete as they identified as women, which prompted widespread controversy.