World Boxing Mandates Genetic Sex Testing for Women’s Boxing

World Boxing announced a sweeping change to its eligibility rules on Wednesday, introducing mandatory sex testing for competitors in the women’s division at world championships and other major events. The policy requires national teams to certify the biological sex of their athletes entering women’s competitions using a polymerase chain reaction or equivalent genetic screening test. Athletes will be deemed eligible only after confirmation of their chromosomal sex, with non-compliance resulting in ineligibility and potential sanctions for both the athlete and the national federation. The new framework will take effect ahead of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool in early September and apply to the forthcoming 2025 championships.

Under the policy, national federations bear the responsibility for conducting the tests and submitting the results. World Boxing said it would provide an appeals process and would undertake extensive further analysis for athletes with ambiguous results, including genetic screening, hormonal assessments, anatomical examinations, and endocrine evaluations by medical specialists. The federation stressed that the move seeks to balance the dignity and...