Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif will be unable to compete at the World Boxing Championships as the debate surrounding the Algerian’s gender continues.
Khelif, 28, has been the subject of public debate since her appearance in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
During the games, the 28-year-old beat Chinese fighter, Yang Liu, 5-0 in the women’s welterweight division final to capture gold.
A year earlier, in 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) decided to disqualify Khelif from the World Championships, claiming she and Li Yu-ting ‘both failed an eligibility test’.
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But the Paris Games were not governed by the IBA, and instead, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took charge of the boxing event.
Although Khelif was allowed to compete at the Olympics, not all sanctioning bodies have taken the same view.
Back in May 2025, Khelif was banned from competing at World Boxing competitions until she undergoes mandatory sex tests.
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The 28-year-old would have to take an SRY gene test, which is used to detect the presence of the Y - a male characteristic - chromosome.
An appeal was filed seeking to overturn the ruling, but it has not yet been heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
As a result, she is still not permitted to compete under World Boxing’s banner, which in turn means she will miss the World Boxing Championships. The tournament begins on September 4 and will run until September 14.
As reported by Sky Sports, “CAS has listed their upcoming hearings through to September 19 and no hearing involving CAS, Imane Khelif or the Algerian Boxing Federation is listed”.
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CAS has told Sky Sports that the “agreement of parties” ahead of a scheduled hearing may take several weeks.
Khelif has never said she is anything other than female.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2025, Khelif said: “For me, I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one.
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“I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships.
“All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”
Topics: Imane-Khelif, Boxing, Olympics
Luke Davies