Lin Yu-ting continues her Olympic preparations in South Korea
“Lin Yu-ting just returned from training in South Korea, and we are waiting for notification from the Taiwan boxing governing body for signup details while preparing for the 2025 Boxing World Championships,” Tseng said. She represents a nation not known for its boxers and will surely be hoping to silence all the discussion regarding her future in the sport.
“She has not considered withdrawing from the competition because of the new gender tests. We will submit all the relevant documents requested by the organizers, as part of normal procedures.” – Tseng Tzu-chiang
World Boxing, which will oversee boxing competitions in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after being granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), announced plans for testing in May. “The policy is designed to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,” the body said in a statement on Wednesday.
Women boxers will undergo PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests using a nasal or mouth swab, saliva, or blood, to check for the presence of the Y chromosome, World Boxing added. Men have an X and Y chromosome, while women have two X chromosomes. She is just the latest athlete to be ensnared in the controversy around the gender allocation controversy in the sports world at the moment.
World Boxing needs to approach the issue with caution
“World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible,” said the body’s president, Boris van der Vorst. The world championships will take place from September 4 to 14 and are the first to be organized by World Boxing since it replaced the International Boxing Association (IBA) earlier this year.
“Yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness (and) fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.” – World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst.
World Boxing’s initial announcement of the sex testing plans mentioned Khelif by name, saying she would not be allowed to compete until she did a test. Van der Vorst later apologized, saying her privacy should have been protected. Khelif had been due to compete in a World Boxing tournament in the Netherlands in June, but decided to skip it shortly after the body announced plans to introduce sex testing.
Will we see both fighters at the Olympics in Los Angeles
The 26-year-old has repeatedly said she was born a woman and, in March, said she would defend her title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. On Wednesday, Khelif, who has not competed since her win in Paris, denied claims made by her former manager that she has retired from the sport. “It is based solely on statements made by a person who no longer represents me in any way, and whom I consider to have betrayed my trust and my country with his false and malicious statements,” she wrote on Facebook.
Coaches Database/REUTERS
