Indian Women Boxers Pass Genetic Sex Testing for World…

All ten Indian female boxers, including Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen, have cleared the genetic sex testing mandated by the sport’s global governing body. This was in preparation for the World Championships that are commencing in Liverpool, UK on Thursday.

The boxers underwent an advanced FISH-based (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation) testing that represents a molecular biology test for genetic analysis. The tests were conducted at their training camp in NIS Patiala, India, before they travelled to Sheffield for a multi-nation training camp for the Championships.

Upon reaching Liverpool, they presented the FISH testing report certificates to the medical and anti-doping committee of World Boxing (WB). The committee approved the findings that revealed the presence or absence of Y chromosome genetic material, such as the SRY gene.

World Boxing requires all boxers over the age of 18 to undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or equivalent genetic test. However, the Indian boxers opted for the FISH testing procedure, which uses fluorescent probes to detect specific DNA or RNA sequences for diagnosing genetic disorders.

This policy was implemented on August 20, 2025 following controversies regarding the sex eligibility of some female boxers including Paris Olympics champion Imane Khelif of Algeria and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who will not participate in the Championships due to the ongoing gender eligibility disputes.

Khelif had requested the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn World Boxing’s ruling mandating boxers to take a PCR genetic test. This test is used to detect specific genetic material, particularly the Y chromosome (SRY gene), which indicates biological sex.