Understanding the Sex Verification Policy for Women Boxers in…

The Women’s World Boxing Championships has initiated a new procedure with the arrival of the Sex Eligibility Policy. This policy stated by World Boxing mandates all female athletes to undergo genetic sex eligibility testing. Confirming the policy’s implementation, all ten female Indian boxers, including Olympic Bronze Medalist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen, have successfully cleared the necessary test.

This clearance resulted from the FISH-based test (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation) held at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala before the team’s stage for a training camp in Sheffield. World Boxing’s medical and anti-doping committee in Liverpool verified the test certificates, getting them a green signal to participate in the Championships.

The Sex Eligibility Policy, introduced on August 20, 2025, ensures that athletes undergo a one-time genetic test to determine their biological sex at birth, mainly by detecting the Y chromosome or the SRY gene. This test could either be a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) or an equivalent method, with Indian boxers choosing the FISH test that uses fluorescent probes for specific DNA or RNA sequences.

Although the policy aims to maintain fairness and integrity in sports by making sure only eligible athletes compete in female categories, it has sparked controversy. Critics believe it might be discriminatory and intrusive. Major cases regarding the policy include Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan who were kept from competing, thus prompting Khelif to take World Boxing’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). It was crucial for Indian athletes to clear these tests to be able to participate in the Championships.