Controversy continues to surround Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. GETTY IMAGES

A Hungarian sports official, Istvan Kovacs, has claimed Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is not female. The European vice president of the World Boxing Organisation said he alerted the IOC about alleged male participation in women’s boxing in 2022, but no action was taken.

In an interview with Magyar Nemzet, Kovacs confirmed speculation that Khelif was biologically male, noting that gender tests revealed this. He said, “The problem was not with the level of Khelif’s testosterone, because that can be adjusted nowadays, but with the result of the gender test, which clearly revealed that the Algerian boxer is biologically male.”

Kovacs also mentioned that five boxers, including Khelif, were tested by the International Boxing Association and all were found to be male. He reported these results to the IOC but claimed he has yet to receive a response. The Hungarian official expressed concerns about Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori's upcoming match against Khelif, stating that Hamori “was simply not trained for this” and emphasised the risk she faces.

The last few years have seen a long breakdown of relations between the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which last June resulted in the Olympic organisers stripping the IBA of recognition. In April, a breakaway body, World Boxing, was then launched with Dutch federation head Boris van der Vorst elected as its first president. 

Controversy continues to surround Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. GETTY IMAGES
Controversy continues to surround Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. GETTY IMAGES

Talking to Inside the Games, Boris van der Vorst distanced himself from the friction but showed his support for the IOC. "it is important to stress that World Boxing is not in charge of this competition, he said. "I am fully confident they did they (IOC) have done their homework and that all the procedures are in place."

"I am confident that after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, they will assign the right medical committee to make things clear going forward. Safety is above everything," he finished.

Hamori has faced backlash for her social media posts about Khelif, leading to complaints by the Algerian Olympic Committee and pressure to remove her posts. The controversy around Khelif's participation highlights ongoing debates in women’s sports about fair competition.



Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, criticised the IOC, calling the situation “the greatest sports scandal of our lifetime” and demanding the reinstatement of sex verification testing.

The 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships, held in New Delhi, saw multiple disqualifications, including Khelif's, for failing gender tests. The IBA’s rules define a female boxer as having XX chromosomes. Despite Khelif’s appeal, the disqualification stands.

This issue echoes the broader debate on gender and fairness in sports, previously seen in cases like South African runner Caster Semenya’s, who also faced challenges related to sex verification and Differences of Sexual Development.