The International Boxing Association (IBA) has welcomed the statement by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif on social media about considering taking legal steps against the organisation.
This follows a statement early this week where the IBA threatened to take legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing Khelif and Lin YU-ting to participate in the female section of the amateurs during the Olympics that took place in Paris last year.
Khelif is an Algerian professional boxer. She won a gold medal in the women's 66kg (welterweight) boxing event at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
YU-ting won gold at the same global sporting showpiece and the featherweight fighter became the first Taiwanese boxer to win an Olympic gold medal.
The governing body of boxing, established in 1946, has issued a statement. IBA president Umar Kremlev is quoted saying: "We received great news that the IOC will face the consequences of their decisions, as Imane Khelif is going to proceed with legal actions against the IBA,
‘We are really glad, as we will be able to prove in court that Khelif, based on eligibility criteria, was not allowed to compete in female boxing events in order to guarantee safety and fair chance to women competitors.
"We will insist on the forensic medical examination, which will prove our position, and we will communicate the outcome accordingly. Thomas Bach (the IOC president) will be personally accountable to the law for what he did."
IBA prides itself on being the sole international federation committed to safeguarding the rights of athletes worldwide and upholding the integrity of female sports.
It said the executive order of US President Donald Trump of “Keeping men out of women’s sports” proves that IBA stood firm, rightfully protecting female boxers from unfair competition.
In a statement early in the week, the IBA said: "In light of the gender eligibility issues surrounding boxers in 2022 and 2023, the IBA proactively conducted all necessary testing and subsequently banned individuals deemed ineligible from participating in women’s competitions,” the statement reads.
“Despite notifying the IOC about the disqualification of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, the IOC disregarded this critical information, allowing both athletes to compete in the qualifiers and ultimately at the 2024 Olympics, where they secured gold medals, denying opportunities to deserving female athletes."
It said it was filing an official complaint with the Attorney-General of Switzerland, Stefan Blätter, regarding the IOC's actions that facilitated the participation of these ineligible athletes in the 2024 Olympic boxing tournament in Paris.
“According to the Swiss law, any action or inaction that poses a safety risk to competition participants warrants investigation and may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution. In addition, similar complaints are to be filed with the Attorneys-General of France and the US,” the statement read.
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IBA welcomes IOC-backed Imane Khelif's threats to take legal action against it
Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images
The International Boxing Association (IBA) has welcomed the statement by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif on social media about considering taking legal steps against the organisation.
This follows a statement early this week where the IBA threatened to take legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing Khelif and Lin YU-ting to participate in the female section of the amateurs during the Olympics that took place in Paris last year.
Khelif is an Algerian professional boxer. She won a gold medal in the women's 66kg (welterweight) boxing event at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
YU-ting won gold at the same global sporting showpiece and the featherweight fighter became the first Taiwanese boxer to win an Olympic gold medal.
The governing body of boxing, established in 1946, has issued a statement. IBA president Umar Kremlev is quoted saying: "We received great news that the IOC will face the consequences of their decisions, as Imane Khelif is going to proceed with legal actions against the IBA,
‘We are really glad, as we will be able to prove in court that Khelif, based on eligibility criteria, was not allowed to compete in female boxing events in order to guarantee safety and fair chance to women competitors.
"We will insist on the forensic medical examination, which will prove our position, and we will communicate the outcome accordingly. Thomas Bach (the IOC president) will be personally accountable to the law for what he did."
IBA prides itself on being the sole international federation committed to safeguarding the rights of athletes worldwide and upholding the integrity of female sports.
It said the executive order of US President Donald Trump of “Keeping men out of women’s sports” proves that IBA stood firm, rightfully protecting female boxers from unfair competition.
In a statement early in the week, the IBA said: "In light of the gender eligibility issues surrounding boxers in 2022 and 2023, the IBA proactively conducted all necessary testing and subsequently banned individuals deemed ineligible from participating in women’s competitions,” the statement reads.
“Despite notifying the IOC about the disqualification of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, the IOC disregarded this critical information, allowing both athletes to compete in the qualifiers and ultimately at the 2024 Olympics, where they secured gold medals, denying opportunities to deserving female athletes."
It said it was filing an official complaint with the Attorney-General of Switzerland, Stefan Blätter, regarding the IOC's actions that facilitated the participation of these ineligible athletes in the 2024 Olympic boxing tournament in Paris.
“According to the Swiss law, any action or inaction that poses a safety risk to competition participants warrants investigation and may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution. In addition, similar complaints are to be filed with the Attorneys-General of France and the US,” the statement read.
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