The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a bizarre and ridiculous press conference on Monday in which it once again questioned the eligibility of two female boxers for the Olympics.
It has been a very controversial few days in Paris, with Algerian Imane Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-Ting generating much controversy for their participation in women’s boxing in Paris.
Both fighters were disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year when the IBA claimed they had failed gender eligibility tests.
The duo have reached the semi-finals of the Olympics, meaning they are both guaranteed at least a bronze medal, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has repeatedly defended their right to compete.
And on Monday, the IBA held a press conference in Paris regarding the gender of Khelif and Yu-Ting, but the briefing subsequently descended into chaos.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a bizarre press conference on Monday in which they further questioned the eligibility of two female boxers for the Olympics.
The participation of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in women’s boxing has been very controversial
Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan were disqualified from last year’s world championships after the IBA claimed they had failed gender eligibility tests, but the IOC admitted them in Paris.
IBA President Umar Kremlev began – after an hour’s delay – by criticising the Olympic opening ceremony and expressed concern about the representation of Christianity there.
However, his inaugural address, which was broadcast via live video link, was interrupted by sound problems.
IBA chief executive Chris Roberts then explained how Khelif and Yu-Ting were subjected to two blood tests: one in 2022 and one in 2023.
These came after complaints were received from coaches and competitors during the 2022 World Championships.
He said the results “proved the chromosomes we refer to in the competition rules that make both boxers ineligible.”
He added: “We are not in a position, due to medical confidentiality, to carry out the test.”
However, Roberts spoke about how Khelif and Yu-Ting were informed in writing that they had been found to have XY chromosomes and that each had the opportunity to appeal the findings to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The IBA was later said to have offered to pay the majority of the costs to allow both boxers to appeal, but Yu-Ting opted not to do so, while Khelif lodged an appeal, before later reversing its decision.
Kremlev then repeated his criticism of the opening ceremony, while also accusing the IOC of “destroying women’s sport”, before hinting that the IBA would pay “compensation to all women who have suffered” as a result of the two boxers’ participation in Paris.
“We have the results of the tests that we were allowed to perform and these tests show that they have a high level of testosterone, like a man. The testosterone level of a man,” he added.
The Russian also continued his criticism of IOC chief Thomas Bach, whom he called “chief sodomite.”
On Saturday, Bach defended Khelif and Yu-Ting, saying: ‘We have two boxers who were born as women, who were raised as women, who have a passport as women and who have competed for many years as women.
“This is the clear definition of a woman.”
The press conference then became more chaotic when three loud electrical explosions were heard inside the room, before Kremlev’s translator struggled to keep up with the Russian’s speech, meaning most attendees were unable to understand what was happening.
IBA President Umar Kremlev made a surprising speech at the opening ceremony
IBA chief executive Chris Roberts explained how both boxers were deemed “ineligible” after tests
Dr Ioannis Filippatos, former chairman of the IBA Medical Committee, also spoke at the press conference in an attempt to explain the test results. The doctor said: “The (test) results suggest that the boxers are men.”
However, this did not satisfy the room and the press conference descended into even greater chaos when several journalists ended up shouting at the doctor, who shouted back to the audience: “Why are you attacking me?”
There were several other instances of journalists from around the world speaking in dramatic scenes before IBA representatives.
Reuters decided to cut the broadcast of the press conference, while the BBC pulled out before the end in protest.
The Russian-led IBA has come under fire in recent times for its alleged close ties to the Kremlin, and had Russian state energy company Gazprom as one of its main backers during Kremlin rule.
It has been suspended by the IOC since 2019 due to concerns about its finances, governance, ethics, refereeing and judging.
Meanwhile, after Khelif and Yu-Ting were cleared to compete in Paris, the Olympic website noted that they had been disqualified from the World Championships by the IBA when their elevated testosterone levels did not meet eligibility criteria.
Kremlev, who organised the contest, said at the time that other DNA tests had “proved that they had XY chromosomes” – in short, that they had been considered “biologically male”.
On the eve of Thursday’s hugely controversial fight between Khelif and her Italian opponent Angela Carini (who retired after being hit twice in 46 seconds), the IBA released a statement clarifying why the Algerian and Yu-Tin had been disqualified from last year’s World Championships.
He cited a “meticulous” review that “was extremely important and necessary to maintain the level of impartiality and the highest integrity of the competition.”
Kremlev repeated his criticism of IOC chief Thomas Bach as a “chief sodomite.”
Dr Ioannis Filippatos (left), former chairman of the IBA Medical Committee, also spoke at the press conference but was involved in a heated argument with journalists who were present.
Khelif received strong criticism after beating Angela Carini in 46 seconds last week.
The letter adds that no testosterone tests were conducted, but rather “an independent and recognised test, the details of which are being kept confidential”. The test “conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other competitors”.
The IBA said the ban was also based on tests conducted at the 2022 World Boxing Championships and said, significantly, that Khelif withdrew an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, making the decision legally binding.
In a critique of the IOC, they “expressed concerns about the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sports organisations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games.” “The IOC’s different regulations on these matters raise serious questions about competitive fairness and athlete safety,” they added.
Yu-Ting will now face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman in Wednesday’s semi-finals, while Khelif will face Janjaem Suwannapheng in the ring on Tuesday.