UN Rapporteur on violence against women and girls supports IBA’s stance on gender testing following scandal in boxing at Paris 2024 Games
October 9th, 2024 / IBA
The International Boxing Association (IBA) backs the report on violence against women and girls in sports of UN Special Rapporteur Ms Reem Alsalem delivered to UN General Assembly 79th Session. She claimed that mandatory gender-testing should be introduced to sports events.
The IBA strongly believes that these measures are crucial to protect competition integrity and fairness. We have been through the gender testing process before and consider it as standard operating procedures to protect our boxers.
In an article, written by a prominent journalist Alan Abrahamson at 3wiresports, he states:
Amid a 24-page report entitled, “Violence against women and girls in sports,” Jordan’s Reem Alsalem said what the International Boxing Association — which, it would appear, would now seem to be owed an apology by the IOC and, for that matter, much of the media worldwide — has consistently maintained:
“There are circumstances in which sex screenings are, however, necessary, legitimate and proportional in order to ensure fairness and safety in sports. For instance, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, female boxers had to compete against two boxers whose sex as females was seriously contested, but the International Olympic Committee refused to carry out a sex screening.
“Current technology enables a reliable sex screening procedure through a simple cheek swab that ensures non-invasiveness, confidentiality and dignity,” reads the report.
Ms Alsalem also stated that “A 1996 survey of female Olympians found that an overwhelming number (82% of the 928 surveyed) supported these tests.”
Two boxers Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-ting from Chinese Taipei, disqualified by IBA in 2023 based on eligibility criteria for women’s events, won the 2024 Paris Olympic Games boxing event in the women’s 66kg and 57kg respectively. The IBA has informed both athletes and had warned the IOC about these particular cases of ineligibility. However, the IOC did not react and, moreover, allowed these athletes to take part in qualification process and qualify for the Olympic Games. Other boxers were in turn, deprived of their chance to win a medal due to these unfair circumstances.
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Media contacts:
Elena Sobol, Head of Communications and PR, International Boxing Association: elena.sobol@iba.sport
