The international governing body World Boxing has announced a new policy requiring all athletes to undergo mandatory genetic testing to verify their sex at birth. The landmark rule, one of the most definitive of its kind in international sports, will be implemented first for female boxers at the World Championships.
The policy, which takes effect on August 20th, 2025, mandates that all male and female athletes over the age of 18 must complete a once-in-a-lifetime PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or equivalent genetic test. The results will determine the category in which an athlete is permitted to compete; no further changes allowed.
The initiative, developed over nearly a year by a special working group, aims to “ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,” according to a World Boxing statement.
The testing will focus on detecting the presence of the SRY gene, which is a key indicator of a Y chromosome. This creates a strict binary division based solely on sex assigned at birth, as determined by genetics, moving away from hormone-based regulations used by other federations.
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst acknowledged the sensitive nature of the policy, framing it as a necessary measure to balance inclusivity with safety in a combat sport.
“World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and is keen to ensure it is as inclusive as possible,” van der Vorst stated. “Yet in a combat sport like boxing, we have a duty of care to deliver safety and competitiveness fairness, which are the key principles that have guided the development and creation of this policy.”
He confirmed that the policy would be applied to the women’s events first, citing the more “pronounced” issues of eligibility in that category. The testing requirement for male athletes will begin on January 1, 2026.
This decision is especially celebrated since the scandalous Olympic win of Imane Khelif, a biological man, who is proven to have XY chromosomes by a previously leaked lab document. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Khelif to compete as a woman. In the final, the Algerian boxer’s opponent gave up the match less than a minute into the first round, citing unequal strength as the reason.
The president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev, said Imane Khelif should “be made to return the Olympic medal from Paris.” In his words, the IOC did not fight for the fairness of the sport but rather gave away medals for political reasons.
In sports where direct physical injury can be caused by allowing men to compete among women, this decision is critical, as even one fight can lead to permanent damage to a female athlete forced to compete against a physically stronger male.
