DOHA: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif said she will comply with genetic testing requirements to compete, provided the tests are conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight division at the Paris 2024 Olympics amid a dispute over her eligibility, after the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her from the 2023 world championships based on sex chromosome tests.
World Boxing, which will oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after receiving provisional IOC recognition, announced in May that sex testing would be mandatory for all competitors. Khelif has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being barred from events unless she undergoes genetic testing under World Boxing rules, saying she would only submit to such tests if they are administered by the IOC.
“Of course, I would accept doing anything I’m required to do to participate in competitions,” Khelif told CNN. “They should protect women, but while protecting women, they shouldn’t hurt other women.”
“I’m not transgender. I’m a woman. I want to live my life. Please do not exploit me in your political agendas,” added the 26-year-old, who said she remained hopeful of receiving justice from CAS.
