(Reuters) – World Boxing said its eligibility policy does not prevent Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting from participating in its events after the Olympic champion was reportedly withdrawn from a tournament over her gender eligibility.
Lin, one of two boxers at the centre of a gender dispute at the Paris Olympics where she won the women’s featherweight gold medal, was set to compete in the World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield, England which began on Wednesday.
British and Taiwanese media reported Lin was withdrawn from the event after her country’s sports officials said organisers questioned her gender eligibility, which World Boxing has denied.
“World Boxing’s current eligibility policy does not prevent Lin Yu-ting from taking part in the World Boxing Cup,” a World Boxing spokesperson said.
“Selection decisions are made by national federations and the boxer was not entered in the event.”
Taiwan’s Sports Administration told media outlets that World Boxing “lacks the clear regulatory policies” of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which ensure the protection of athletes’ rights.
“Additionally, World Boxing’s medical committee has yet to establish robust confidentiality procedures to safeguard the medical information submitted by Taiwan regarding Lin Yu-ting,” it was quoted as saying.
In response, World Boxing said it put boxers first and that their safety was “absolutely paramount”.
“We have recognised for some time that gender clarity is an extremely complex issue with significant welfare concerns,” the organisation’s spokesperson added.
“Our medical committee has a dedicated working group committed to examining every aspect of this area so that we can strengthen our policy and ensure it prioritises the health of boxers and delivers sporting integrity while endeavouring to make the sport as inclusive as possible.”
Taiwan’s Olympic Committee was not available for comment outside business hours.
Lin and Algerian welterweight gold medallist Imane Khelif were caught up in a gender dispute which overshadowed the boxing competition in Paris.
They were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which said sex chromosome tests had ruled them ineligible.
They competed in Paris, however, after the IOC stripped the IBA of its status and organised the boxing itself. The IOC used boxing eligibility rules that were applied at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics and do not include gender testing.
World Boxing, an organisation launched in 2023 with 55 members, is looking to fill the void left behind by the IBA.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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