Algerian Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has been temporarily banned from all World Boxing events due to new gender eligibility requirements. The decision, confirmed ahead of the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup, has reignited global debate over sex testing in sports.

Khelif, who won gold in the women’s 66kg division at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is now required to undergo genetic sex testing as part of World Boxing’s updated eligibility criteria. The governing body recently introduced mandatory PCR-based screening for all boxers aged 18 and older. The testing aims to identify athletes’ biological sex, focusing on detecting the presence of the Y chromosome.

Athletes flagged through this process—either because they were assigned male at birth or show traits linked to male androgenization—will only be eligible to compete in male events. Those without such indicators may participate in female categories. This policy, according to World Boxing, is designed to ensure “fairness and safety” in a physically demanding sport like boxing.

Khelif has yet to respond publicly to the latest suspension. Her case, however, has long stirred controversy. In 2023, she was disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships under the former boxing authority, the International Boxing Association (IBA), after failing a then-undisclosed gender eligibility test. Though the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later cleared her to compete in the 2024 Games, that earlier incident sparked global headlines and criticism from gender rights advocates.

World Boxing, now officially recognized by the IOC as the sport’s international federation, has stood firm on its updated rules. The organization stated that Khelif must comply with the testing protocol before being allowed to return to competition. Testing can be done via mouth or nasal swabs, saliva, or blood samples, and will focus on chromosomal verification.

Critics argue that such policies risk discriminating against women athletes with naturally occurring variations in sex development. Supporters, meanwhile, claim that biological standards are necessary to protect fair competition, particularly in contact sports where strength and speed can be significant advantages.

The debate over gender eligibility in sports is intensifying across disciplines. Track and field’s governing body, World Athletics, has already enacted similar rules barring transgender women and athletes with certain hormonal profiles from elite women’s events. With boxing now adopting comparable measures, the issue is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

For Imane Khelif, a national hero in Algeria and symbol of success for Arab and African women in sport, the controversy is both personal and political. Her journey, marked by triumph and setback, continues to spotlight the complex intersection of science, identity, and fairness in modern athletics.

Whether she will return to the ring under these new conditions remains uncertain. But what’s clear is that her case is shaping the global conversation about who gets to compete—and under what terms.