Algerian fighter misses registration deadline for Eindhoven Box Cup as mayor slams ‘controversial gender tests’ – tournament loses star attraction
Olympic gold medallist Imane Khelif has sensationally withdrawn from the prestigious Eindhoven Box Cup, missing the registration deadline just days after World Boxing announced she must undergo mandatory sex testing before competing.
The 26-year-old Algerian boxer, who won gold at the Paris Olympics amid fierce controversy over her eligibility, failed to register before Thursday’s deadline – effectively ending her planned return to international competition this weekend.
Tournament media director Dirk Renders confirmed to reporters: “The decision of Imane’s exclusion is not ours. We regret it.”
MANDATORY TESTING BOMBSHELL
The dramatic withdrawal comes less than a week after World Boxing dropped a bombshell announcement specifically naming Khelif, declaring she would be banned from all competitions until undergoing genetic sex screening.
The governing body’s unprecedented statement on May 30 declared: “Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing’s rules and testing procedures.
World Boxing introduced mandatory PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic testing for all athletes over 18, designed to detect the presence of the Y chromosome through identification of the SRY gene – an indicator of biological sex.
MAYOR’S FURY AT ‘CONTROVERSIAL’ BAN
In an extraordinary intervention, Eindhoven’s mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem launched a scathing attack on World Boxing’s decision, demanding Khelif be admitted to the tournament.
“As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven. Excluding athletes based on controversial ‘gender tests‘ certainly does not fit in with that,” Dijsselbloem wrote in a strongly-worded letter to both the Dutch Boxing Federation and International Boxing Federation.
“We are expressing our disapproval of this decision today and are calling on the organization to admit Imane Khelif after all.”
PARIS CONTROVERSY CONTINUES
Khelif’s withdrawal marks the latest chapter in a gender eligibility saga that dominated headlines during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won welterweight gold despite having been previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) had banned both Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting from its 2023 championships, claiming they failed unspecified eligibility tests. However, the IOC allowed both fighters to compete in Paris, with both winning gold medals.
During the Games, Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds in a bout that sparked global controversy when Carini withdrew in tears, claiming she had never been hit so hard.
‘SAFETY AND WELLBEING’ CONCERNS
World Boxing justified its decision by citing “concerns over the safety and wellbeing of all boxers, including Imane Khelif” and aimed to “protect the mental and physical health of all participants in light of some of the reactions that have been expressed in relation to the boxer’s potential participation.
The organisation emphasised the decision was “designed solely to ensure the health and safety of all participants” and was “not deemed to in any way pre-judge the outcome of any testing.
LEAKED REPORTS FUEL DEBATE
The controversy intensified after reports emerged claiming to show results from chromosome tests conducted in 2022 and 2023, with some media outlets reporting these showed “XY chromosomes” and “male karyotypes.
High-profile figures including Donald Trump, Elon Musk and JK Rowling had publicly questioned Khelif’s eligibility during the Olympics, leading the boxer to file criminal complaints for “aggravated cyber harassment” against several individuals.
APOLOGY FROM BOXING BOSS
World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst was forced to issue an apology after the organisation specifically named Khelif in its testing announcement, acknowledging that “the athlete’s privacy should have been protected.
The governing body, which was provisionally recognised by the IOC in February 2025 as the sport’s new global authority, faces immediate pressure over its handling of the situation.
TOURNAMENT LOSES STAR POWER
Khelif had been promoted as one of the tournament’s main attractions, having won the Eindhoven Box Cup title in 2024 as preparation for her Olympic campaign. Tournament organisers had used her image on promotional posters with the caption: “Proud that Imane Khelif is there again to defend her title!”
A tournament spokesman attempted to downplay the impact, stating: “Khelif is, of course, a world champion, but with Muydinkhujaev and Khalokov, we also have two boxers from Uzbekistan who won gold at the Olympic Games.”
KHELIF’S DEFIANT STANCE
Throughout the controversy, Khelif has maintained her position, stating in March: “For me, I see myself as a girl just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one.
She added: “I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships. All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”
LA 2028 IN DOUBT
The boxer’s plans to defend her Olympic title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games now hang in the balance, with World Boxing set to oversee the Olympic boxing competition and several federations already speaking out against her potential inclusion.
The new testing policy officially takes effect on July 1, 2025, requiring all boxers in World Boxing-sanctioned events to undergo genetic screening – marking a significant shift in how the sport determines eligibility for competition.
As the Eindhoven Box Cup proceeds without one of its biggest stars, the debate over gender eligibility in sport shows no signs of abating, with Khelif caught at the centre of one of boxing’s most divisive controversies.
