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International Boxing Association criticizes Olympics for allowing male boxers to compete in women’s event

By isabelle // 2024-08-04

The International Boxing Association (IBA) has called out the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing a biological male boxer who failed the IBA's gender eligibility test to compete in the Paris games as a woman. The boxer in question, Imane Khelif of Algeria, was thrust into the spotlight following a boxing match this week against Italian boxer Angela Carini that lasted just 46 seconds. Within seconds of the beginning of the match, Carini was subjected to very powerful punches that prompted her to drop her helmet and call the match “unjust” before falling to the floor crying and refusing to shake hands with Khelif. Khelif is said to be a biological male and has been banned from participating in female matches in the past as a result. Carini reported that she had never been hit so hard in her boxing career and said the pain was too overwhelming for her to continue with the match. She said: “I’m used to suffering. I’ve never taken a punch like that; it’s impossible to continue. “I got into the ring to fight, but I didn’t feel like it anymore after the first minute. I started to feel a strong pain in my nose. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m leaving with my head held high,” she added. Carini’s coach later said that many people in Italy warned her not to go to the match, saying “it’s a man; it’s dangerous for you.” The incident has drawn a significant amount of controversy, with many people expressing shock and dismay that a female boxer could be expected to fight against a biological male in the women's competition.

IBA confirms Khelif is a biological male and asks why IOC let him compete against women

Now, the International Boxing Association has weighed in with a statement addressing reports in the media about Khelif’s previous disqualification from major boxing matches, and the main takeaway is that Khelif is indeed not a woman by their eligibility definitions and that the IOC needs to explain why this biological male was allowed to compete in the women’s sport. Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting are not transgender, but they were unable to pass tests confirming they are female. As a result, they were disqualified from the IBA women's World Boxing championships in New Delhi last year. The statement, which can be read in full online, explains: “This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.” The IBA clarified that the test involved was not of testosterone. Instead, they say it was a “recognized test” whose specifics are confidential. They noted: “This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.” They added that both individuals failed two tests carried out by the IBA on different occasions: the one at New Delhi in 2023 as well as one at Istanbul in 2022. While Lin Yu-ting did not appeal the IBA's decision, Khelif appealed it at first but later withdrew her appeal during the process. In both cases, the decision is therefore legally binding. Although the IBA is confident that it has ensured the competitive fairness of its events, it voiced concerns in the statement that rational eligibility criteria are not being applied consistently by other sports organizations, and this includes the International Olympics Committee. They believe that their willingness to allow a biological male to compete renders the games unfair and would like to see the IOC answer for their actions. “The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety. For clarification on why the IOC permits athletes with competitive advantages to compete in their events, we urge interested parties to seek answers directly from the IOC.” The idea that watching men beat women up in a boxing ring has become an Olympic sport is horrific but sadly, it's not that surprising in light of their anti-Christian opening ceremony. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com IBA.sport

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