World Boxing, the newly established international governing body for Olympic-style boxing, has taken a bold step ahead of the upcoming World Boxing Championships in Liverpool by instituting mandatory sex testing for all athletes wishing to compete in the women’s division. This policy, announced on August 20, 2025, has ignited fierce debate within the boxing community and beyond, drawing reactions from athletes, officials, activists, and political leaders across the globe.
The move comes just one year after Algerian welterweight boxer Imane Khelif captured Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games amid swirling controversy over her eligibility to compete in the women’s category. Khelif’s participation—and a previous failed gender eligibility test administered by a different boxing body—sparked a firestorm of scrutiny, with critics questioning the integrity of women’s boxing and supporters rallying behind her right to compete. Khelif, now 26, has steadfastly maintained, “I was born a woman,” and has boxed at the highest levels of the women’s amateur ranks for nearly a decade.
World Boxing’s new policy mandates that all athletes over the age of 18 seeking to participate in its competitions must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or an equivalent genetic screening. These tests are designed to identify the presence or absence of Y chromosome genetic material, which the organization now uses as the definitive indicator of biological sex at birth. Without a completed test, boxers—regardless of their status or previous achievements—will be barred from competing in the women’s division at the championships scheduled for early September 2025 in Liverpool.
President Boris Van Der Vorst, addressing the global boxing community, emphasized the rationale behind the controversial decision: “World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible. Yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.”
This is no small shift for the sport. Chromosome testing, once a mainstay in Olympic sports during the latter half of the 20th century, was largely abandoned in the 1990s because of ambiguities—especially for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD). Many sports switched to hormone testing, but this, too, has proven fraught, particularly for women with naturally high testosterone levels. World Boxing’s new approach, however, returns the focus to genetic markers, claiming it is the most objective measure available.
Under the new rules, athletes with DSD involving male androgenisation—meaning their bodies respond to male hormones—will be eligible to compete only in the men’s category. For those with Y chromosome material who still wish to compete in the women’s division, World Boxing has pledged to offer extensive additional analysis, including genetic screening, hormonal profiling, anatomical examination, and further evaluation by medical specialists. An appeals process is also in place, aiming to provide a fair hearing for contested cases.
The responsibility for conducting and reporting these tests falls to the national federations, who must submit results to World Boxing ahead of the championships. This decentralized approach places significant pressure on federations to ensure compliance and accuracy, especially as the world’s eyes turn to Liverpool for the next chapter in the sport’s history.
Khelif’s own journey has been emblematic of the larger debate. After the initial announcement of sex testing in June 2025, she declined to participate in a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands. Van Der Vorst later apologized for naming Khelif specifically while outlining the federation’s future testing plans—a move that had inadvertently intensified the scrutiny on her. Alongside Khelif, Taiwanese gold medalist Lin Yu-ting has also faced heightened attention regarding sex eligibility, both athletes navigating the complex intersection of athletic achievement and regulatory oversight.
Reactions to the policy have been swift and polarizing. Many activists and social media users have hailed the move as a victory for fairness and integrity in women’s sports. “One year after the biggest women’s sports scandal in Olympic history, the new federation vows safe, fair fights for women,” wrote one user on X. Another commented, “This seems a sensible policy at first reading—and it appears ALL competitors must take the test, not just those wishing to go into the women’s division.” Yet, skepticism remains. Some fear the policy could lead to the exclusion of athletes with rare genetic conditions or those who do not fit neatly into binary categories, raising questions about the balance between inclusion and competitive equity.
The broader sporting world is watching closely. Earlier in 2025, World Athletics—the global governing body for track and field—became the first Olympic sport to reintroduce chromosome testing, requiring all female athletes to submit to the test once in their careers. Their deadline for compliance is September 1, just before their own world championships. The International Olympic Committee, which managed the last two Olympic boxing tournaments under previous eligibility rules, has yet to issue a definitive stance on the new wave of genetic testing policies sweeping across Olympic sports.
Political leaders have also weighed in. U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, reiterated his position that “there are only two sexes—male and female,” and called for a ban on transgender women in women’s sports. Such statements have fueled the already heated debate, underscoring how issues of sex, gender, and fairness in sport have become deeply politicized.
World Boxing itself is a relative newcomer, formed just two years ago after a split from the scandal-plagued International Boxing Association. Provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee has positioned it as the main authority for Olympic boxing qualification heading into the next Games. The Liverpool championships will serve as a proving ground for the new policy, setting the tone for future competitions and Olympic cycles.
For now, boxers, coaches, and fans are left to navigate uncharted territory. The implementation of mandatory sex testing marks a significant moment in the evolution of women’s boxing—a moment fraught with both promise and controversy. As the countdown to Liverpool continues, all eyes will be on how the policy is enforced and, perhaps more importantly, how it shapes the future of the sport.
With the World Boxing Championships just weeks away, the tension is palpable. Will the new rules deliver the competitive fairness and safety they promise, or will they spark further debate and division? The only certainty is that the world will be watching as the bell rings in Liverpool.
