IBA press conference over gender row boxers descends into CHAOS as Russian president launches bizarre Olympics opening ceremony rant and doubles down on calling IOC president a ‘sodomite’
The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a bizarre press conference on Monday where they further called into question the eligibility of two female boxers at the Olympics.
It has been a hugely controversial few days in Paris, with Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting both generating much contention through their participation in the 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 bronze medals, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) repeatedly defending their right to compete.
And, on Monday, the IBA called a news conference in Paris in regards to the gender of Khelif and Yu-Ting, with the briefing subsequently descending into chaos.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a bizarre press conference on Monday where they further called into question the eligibility of two female boxers at the Olympics
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s participation in the women’s boxing has been very contentious
Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan were disqualified at the World Championships last year after the IBA claimed they had failed gender eligibility tests, but the IOC admitted them to Paris
IBA president Umar Kremlev began – after an hour delay – by criticising the Olympics opening ceremony and raised his concerns about the portrayal of Christianity within it.
However, his opening address, which came via live link, was disrupted by sound issues.
Chris Roberts, the IBA CEO, then explained how Khelif and Yu-Ting were both subject to two blood tests – one in 2022 and one in 2023.
He said that the results ‘demonstrated the chromosomes we refer to in competition rules that make both boxers ineligible’.
He later added: ‘We are not in a position due to medical confidence to give you the test itself.’
Kremlev then went onto repeat his criticism of the opening ceremony, while he also accused the IOC of ‘destroying feminine sport’, before he hinted the IBA would pay ‘compensation to all women who have suffered’ as a result of the two boxers taking part in Paris.
The Russian similarly went onto double down on his criticism of IOC chief Thomas Bach as a ‘chief sodomite’.
The press conference later became more shambolic as two loud electrical bangs were heard inside the room, before Kremlev’s translator struggled to keep up with the Russian’s rant, meaning the majority of those in attendance were unable to understand what was going on.
An IBA doctor also spoke at the press conference in an attempt to explain the results of the tests, with the doctor saying: ‘The results (of the test) suggest that the boxers are male.’
However, this did little to satisfy the room, with the press conference further descending into chaos as several journalists ended up shouting over the doctor.
The IBA has come under criticism in recent times for its alleged close ties to the Kremlin, with the IBA having Russian state-backed energy company Gazprom as one of its sponsors during Kremlev’s tenure.
IBA president Umar Kremlev launched an astonishing rant about the opening ceremony
Chris Roberts, the IBA CEO, explained how both boxers were deemed ‘ineligible’ after tests
After Khelif and Yu-Ting were cleared to compete in Paris, the Olympics website had noted that they had been disqualified from the World Championships by The International Boxing Association (IBA) when their elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria.
Kremlev – who ran that competition – said that further DNA tests had ‘proved they had XY chromosomes’. In short, that they had been deemed ‘biologically male’.
On the eve of Thursday’s hugely controversial fight between Khelif and Italian opponent Angela Carini, the IBA then released a statement clarifying why the Algerian and Yu-Tin had been disqualified from last year’s World Championships.
It cited a ‘meticulous’ review which ‘was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition’.
The missive added that no testosterone examinations were held, rather ‘a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential’. That examination ‘conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors’.
The IBA said the ban was also based on tests conducted at the World Boxing Championships in 2022 and said – significantly – that Khelif withdrew an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, rendering the decision legally binding.
In a dig at the IOC, they ‘expressed concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organisations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games’. ‘The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety,’ they added.
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