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The controversy over gender classification in boxing initiated by the International Boxing Association in 2023 over two boxers that engulfed the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has now spread to the World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield, England, which began on Wednesday.
While Algerian Imane Khelif, who won the Paris Olympic women’s 66 kg class, has been quite public about her situation at the Games and since, Chinese Taipei’s Yu-ting Lin – who won at 57 kg – has been quiet.
But that changed this week when Lin was ready to fight at the World Boxing Cup Finals, her first tournament since Paris, but was apparently not officially entered. The Taiwan Sports Administration, a unit of the country’s Education ministry, said that the World Boxing federation had questioned her gender, and explained in a statement:
“She is female, meets all eligibility criteria, and successfully participated in the women’s boxing event [in Paris], winning a gold medal.
“Unfortunately, as World Boxing is newly established and still navigating the development of its operational mechanisms, it lacks the clear regulatory policies of the IOC that ensure the protection of athletes’ rights.
“Additionally, World Boxing’s medical committee has yet to establish robust confidentiality procedures to safeguard the medical information submitted by Taiwan regarding Lin Yu-ting.”
The Taiwanese statement noted that Lin offered to have a “comprehensive medical examination locally,” which was refused, and Lin was then withdrawn “proactively” to avoid any further harm.
World Boxing replied:
“World Boxing’s current eligibility policy does not prevent Lin Yu Ting from taking part in the World Boxing Cup. Selection decisions are made by national federations and the boxer was not entered in the event.
“At World Boxing, we put boxers first and the safety of athletes is absolutely paramount. We have recognised for some time that gender clarity is an extremely complex issue with significant welfare concerns and our medical committee has a dedicated working group committed to examining every aspect of this area so that we can strengthen our policy and ensure it prioritises the health of boxers and delivers sporting integrity while endeavouring to make the sport as inclusive as possible.”
Like Algeria’s Klelif, Lin – now 28 – has always competed in the women’s division. She won the AIBA World Championship title at 54 kg in 2018 and the IBA Worlds at 57 kg in 2022. She was disqualified by the IBA in 2023 for “failing” the federation’s eligibility standards – but with no details provided – after she won a bronze medal at 57 kg.
Lin has been strongly supported at home, and Taiwan Prime Minister Jung-tai Cho said the government would “actively work to protect and secure” Lin’s rights to compete in future international competitions.
Observed: This is unfortunate for Lin, but worse for World Boxing, which should have seen this possibility coming. This is going to come up again soon, as Algeria’s Khelif has indicated she plans to fight at the World Boxing World Championships in September 2025, also in England, in Liverpool.
By then, the International Olympic Committee will likely have decided whether World Boxing will be recognized as the governing body for Olympic boxing. But in any case, World Boxing will have to be ready to clear the situation regarding Khelif and Lin, preferably well before the tournament even gets close.
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