Female boxers were barred following a delayed gender testing. Image: by Pixabay.
(The Post News)– The French women’s boxing team has been excluded from the World Championship following late genetic test results that were not delivered in time. The team was supposed to compete in an event in Liverpool, where they first had to undergo genetic sex testing, which is a new policy.
According to France 24, such tests have been banned in France since it was passed in 1994, save under strict conditions, so the French federation had to wait till they reached England to proceed with them.
The five-member team underwent testing in a World Boxing-accredited laboratory with the understanding, FFBoxe said, that the results would be available before the deadline. They continue to say they were informed on July 21 that all female athletes needed to provide results of a “femininity test” during registration for the competition, which started on Thursday.
French Law
French law prohibits the national boxing federation from carrying out sex testing either in France or abroad without a medical prescription, the FFBoxe explained. Because of this restriction, and following a recommendation from World Boxing, the federation turned to a laboratory in Leeds for testing. Although they were assured that results would be ready within 24 hours, delays occurred.
“As a result, our athletes, along with several other international female boxers, were excluded from the competition after being caught in this situation,” FFBoxe said in a statement on Thursday. “This is a grave injustice,” the statement continued. “Our athletes are being unfairly penalized due to a bureaucratic shortcoming and a policy that was poorly communicated and introduced too late.”
World Boxing, however, maintains that all federations were informed on August 21. “Sex-testing results can take up to 48 hours. Any testing done after September 1 risks disqualifying the athlete from being included in the Official Draw and the competition,” the governing body stated. “We advised teams to plan their arrival in the UK accordingly if they needed testing there.”
The organization also noted that it had been working for three weeks with several national federations to arrange access to testing sites across the UK and that many competitors had already completed the required tests through this process.
The Genetic Testing
World Boxing, which will oversee the sport at the 2028 LA Olympics, introduced mandatory genetic testing in May for female athletes over 18 to confirm their eligibility. President Boris van der Vorst defended the policy as necessary for fairness and safety.
However, FFBoxe said on Thursday that it still had not received test results from the unnamed lab. According to the SABC reports, the French boxer Maelys Richol voiced her frustration on Instagram, saying a year of preparation had been wasted due to poor organization. “It’s extremely hard to take. We are frustrated, angry, and deeply disappointed,” she said.
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