World Boxing has arguably been on the right path since overtaking the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the premier governing body for international amateur boxing, but like any organization has stumbled upon a minor issue after publicly highlighting their concerns surrounding Algerian Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif’s sex―a mistake quickly rectified by an apology sent towards Khelif and the Algerian Boxing Federation.

World Boxing’s mention of Imane Khelif was a notable highlight in their recent press release where they announced their plans to cultivate mandatory sex testing for all fighters competing in the organization’s events aged 18.

In a letter they sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation, World Boxing emphasized Khelif would be required to undergo sex testing if she were to compete in any of World Boxing’s events; a decision that appeared targeted to Khelif given the controversy surrounding her sex, with many proponents believing Khelif to actually be a male.

In their latest press release, World Boxing would recognize their mistake in specifically naming Khelif, remarking that they acknowledged their wrongdoing and had sent a formal and sincere aplogy to the Algerian Boxing Federation and Khelif herself.

However, despite the apology, World Boxing’s continues to highlight the unresolved issue surrounding Imane Khelif’s sex who has, thus far, failed to properly address or conclude the allegations surrounding her sex. This has been exacerbated since recent reports, hailing from a test conducted in 2023 that was supposedly recently leaked, allegedly confirmed she had XY chromosomes; indicating she is male as females do not have Y chromosomes.

While Khelif has spoken out about being targeted and claimed to have proof of her being born a female, consternation surrounds her sexual development and physical appearance which has led to skepticism surrounding her natural sex.

In their initial press release, World Boxing unequivocally stated Khelif would have to go through their compulsory sex testing if she were to compete in any of World Boxing’s events, though notably the boxer has yet to indicate what her plans will be given most amateur fighters tend to enter the professional ranks after competing in the Olympics.

Khelif last fought in the 2024 Paris Olympics where she netted a gold medal for her efforts.