Olympic champion Khelif responds to the IBA’s complaint about the gender dispute

Imane Khelif, the boxing gold medallist from the Paris Olympics who was involved in a gender-eligibility dispute, has accused the International Boxing Association of making “false and offensive” claims after the IOC filed a lawsuit against it for permitting her to compete.

Citing safety concerns over gender eligibility, the IBA told Swiss Attorney General Stefan Blatter in a statement on Monday that it was bringing a complaint against the International Olympic Committee. The U.S. and France are to get comparable complaints.

Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan and Khelif of Algeria were particularly named in the IBA’s complaint.

American President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting transgender women from participating in female sports was referenced by the boxing organization as support for its position. Following his signing of the order last week, Trump referred to Khelif as “a male boxer” in his remarks.

After a sex chromosomal test that the IBA said disqualified her from the 2023 world championships, Khelif, who has always competed as a woman, was barred from the competition.

But the IOC took over boxing after the IBA lost its Olympic recognition due to governance concerns, and Khelif was allowed to fight in Paris because she was born a woman and had a history of competing in female contests.

“The IBA, an organization that I am no longer associated with, and which is no longer recognized by the IOC, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda,” Khelif said in a prepared statement.

“This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.”

According to the IBA’s statement, “deserving female athletes” were denied opportunities when the IOC allowed both boxers to compete in the Olympic qualifiers and win gold in Paris.

Khelif claimed her team was looking into the matter and will go to court to defend her rights.

“For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorized, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation,” she continued.

“But silence is no longer an option.”

The IOC has said that the IBA’s statement was just one more instance of their anti-IOC campaign.

Switzerland’s Attorney General’s office acknowledged receiving the IBA’s complaint. The boxing organization said in a statement on Wednesday that it applauded Khelif’s plan to sue, saying it would allow it to demonstrate in court that she was prohibited from participating in female boxing competitions.

The IOC has not included boxing to the Los Angeles 2028 schedule because its Olympic future is uncertain. National federations have been advised to create a new global boxing organization or face being excluded from the Olympics.