Imane Khelif Faces Ban Amid Gender Eligibility Controversy

Imane Khelif, is an Algerian boxer who won the women’s welterweight title at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

She has been disqualified from participating in the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup, scheduled to take place from June 5 to 10, 2025.

The decision follows new regulations introduced by World Boxing, the recently recognized international governing body for the sport, which now mandates genetic sex testing for all female athletes to verify eligibility. Khelif’s disqualification reignites a controversy that began in 2023 when the International Boxing Association (IBA) barred her from the World Championships due to alleged gender eligibility concerns. 

Despite these allegations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Khelif to compete in the Paris Olympics, where she went on to claim the gold medal—an achievement that was widely celebrated in her home country and beyond. World Boxing’s policy shift represents a significant and contentious development in the ongoing debate surrounding gender verification in sports.

Khelif has consistently maintained that she was born female and has always lived her life as a woman. She has also initiated legal proceedings against organizations and individuals questioning her gender, accusing them of defamation and cyberbullying. The enforcement of these new testing protocols has drawn criticism from several human rights advocates and sports officials. 

The IOC, in particular, has expressed concern over the lack of transparency and fairness in past cases, calling for a balanced approach that respects both the integrity of competition and the dignity of athletes. Khelif’s situation has become emblematic of the broader tensions at the intersection of sports, science, and human rights, highlighting the need for inclusive, evidence-based policies that uphold fairness while protecting athletes' fundamental identities.