The Algerian Olympic Committee has accused the International Boxing Association (IBA) of making "baseless claims" after the IBA alleged on Monday that an Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, who was competing in the semi-finals of the Paris women's competition, was "a male". Khelif, along with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, has been disqualified from the IBA's 2023 world championships for failing gender eligibility tests, without the specifics of the tests being disclosed. The boxing events in Paris are managed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to financial, governance, and ethical issues at the IBA. The IOC has allowed both Khelif and Lin to continue competing, and they are now in the semifinals, ensuring a medal for each. The two organizations are in a public dispute. An IBA press conference in Paris aimed to clarify the tests Khelif and Lin underwent in the previous year and the results. IBA officials, including President Umar Kremlev, who participated via video call, provided contradictory statements to a room full of reporters, citing medical confidentiality as a constraint. It was revealed that "abnormalities" were detected in the blood tests of both boxers in 2022, and further tests in 2023 confirmed these findings, leading to their disqualification. The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee responded swiftly, stating that Algeria is not a member of the IBA and does not recognize it as a legitimate institution, asserting that Imane Khelif remains unaffected by the IBA's baseless claims. The IOC, along with high-level officials from Algeria and Taiwan, has strongly defended Khelif and Lin, affirming their identities as women. The IOC, which has effectively excluded the IBA from the Olympic movement, accuses the IBA of making an arbitrary decision in disqualifying the duo in 2023. Khelif and Lin also competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without controversy.
Text: Lara Palmer
05.08.2024
IBA Allegations Against Algerian and Taiwanese Boxers Spark Controversy and Dispute with IOC