Chairman Bach Defends Boxers Amid Gender Controversy: "They Should Be Respected as Women" [Paris Olympics]

"All Women Have the Right to Participate in Women's Competitions"
Criticism of IBA and Russia Over Gender Controversy
"New Federation Must Be Established... Boxing Expulsion if Not Complied"

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has come to the defense of female boxers embroiled in gender controversies. At a press conference held on the 3rd (local time) at the Main Media Center in Paris, France, he stated, "Both athletes were born female, raised female, and are listed as female on their passports," adding, "They have competed as women for a long time, so they can be clearly defined as female athletes." He further emphasized, "I hope these women are respected as women and as human beings," and "Every woman has the right to participate in women's competitions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Bach also criticized the International Boxing Association (IBA), which sparked the gender controversy involving the two athletes, as well as Russia, which leads the organization. He said, "The Russian side and the organization (IBA), which we do not recognize, have been damaging the honor of the Olympics and the IOC even before the Paris Olympics," adding, "To maintain boxing's status as an official sport, a new organization must be established (instead of the IBA)."

The athletes involved in the controversy are Imane Khelif (Algeria) in the women's 66kg category and Lin Yu-ting (Taiwan) in the women's 57kg category. They were disqualified at the World Championships held last year in New Delhi, India. At that time, Umar Kremlev, IBA President of Russian nationality, stated the reason was that they "have XY chromosomes," which are male chromosomes. Unlike the IBA, the IOC did not revoke the two athletes' eligibility to participate in the Olympics.

The gender controversy is becoming an international issue. Italian politicians strongly opposed when their national athlete Angela Carini was set to face Khelif in the first round. In particular, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with President Bach directly on the 2nd to lodge a protest. World-famous figures such as J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, also joined the chorus of criticism.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The basis for their claims is the disqualification at last year's World Championships. The IOC countered, stating, "It was merely an arbitrary decision without proper justification." "According to IBA meeting minutes, the decision was made solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO," and "The IBA Board of Directors approved it much later and only requested that procedures to be followed in similar future cases be established and reflected in the IBA regulations," the IOC explained.

Last year, the IOC effectively expelled the IBA due to biased judging, financial difficulties, and match-fixing. The boxing events at the Paris Olympics are organized by the Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), a temporary body established by the IOC. If national boxing federations do not create a new international federation, boxing will be excluded from the official program at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.