World Boxing announced that it is
following in the footsteps of World Athletics by
instituting a sex testing policy for athletes who wish to compete in the women's category. Algerian boxer
Imane Khelif drew attention to the issue during the 2024 Olympics, when Khelif – who is reported to have a difference of sex development (DSD) and
XY chromosomes –
captured a gold medal in women's boxing.
"As part of this policy, World Boxing will operate two categories as determined by sex: a men’s category and a women’s category. To be eligible for the men’s category, a competitor must be male at birth. To be eligible for the women’s category, a competitor must be female at birth," the new policy reads.
As far as how the organization will implement the policy, World Boxing "will introduce mandatory sex testing to determine the eligibility of female and male athletes that want to take part in its competitions. It means that all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing-owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test or a functional medical equivalent genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete."