Imane Khelif Opposes Mandatory Gender Verification

Imane Khelif, a renowned Algerian boxer and Olympic gold winner, is currently contesting the obligatory gender testing imposed by World Boxing to determine competitors’ eligibility.

Earlier this year, in May, the governing body declared that Khelif would not be eligible to participate in any World Boxing events unless she submitted to the required examination. This directive partly stems from the uproar following her victory at the 2024 Olympics.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport made a public announcement on Monday regarding Khelif's formal appeal to overturn this mandate. Filed on August 5, this appeal also urged the court to affirm her right to compete in the 2025 World Boxing Championships, scheduled from September 4 to 14, without having to undergo this controversial test.

Despite filing the appeal, CAS rejected her plea to halt the execution of these tests until a ruling is made.

Khelif, alongside another athlete, Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan, became the center of a gender eligibility controversy during the Paris Olympic Games. Lin is also competing in the world championships in Liverpool this week.

Both boxers have achieved the pinnacle of Olympic success, yet Khelif's first confrontation at the games, which led to an emotional defeat for her Italian rival, ignited a wave of criticism, attracting commentary from notable figures like U.S. Vice President JD Vance and famed author J.K. Rowling.

She had never faced scrutiny regarding her gender in international boxing before last year’s unexpected prohibition by the International Boxing Association.

In a recent turn of events, Khelif refuted allegations made by a prior manager, which suggested that she was contemplating withdrawal from her boxing career.

Addressing these claims on Facebook, the 26-year-old athlete clarified, "The rumors about my retirement are entirely unfounded."

She also accused her ex-manager, Nasser Yesfah, of breaching both her and her nation’s trust with groundless and harmful declarations. She further stated, "This individual no longer acts on my behalf in any capacity."

This report contains contributions from Agence France-Presse.