Olympic winner Imane Khelif will miss the next Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, which takes place less than a week after World Boxing mandated sex testing for all competitors. The Algerian was embroiled in debate over her eligibility after winning gold at the Paris Olympics last year.

Applications for the next event closed on Thursday, and the boxer apparently failed to register in time. “The choice of Imane’s exclusion is not ours. We regret it,” tournament media director Dirk Renders told AP.

In the meantime, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the mayor of Eindhoven, denounced World Boxing's most recent regulation. "As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven," he wrote to the Dutch Boxing Federation and the Inter Boxing Federation. "Excluding athletes based on controversial 'gender tests' certainly does not fit in with that."

"Today, we are voicing our opposition to this choice and urging the organization to let Imane Khelif in nonetheless."

The Russian-dominated IBA disqualified Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan from the 2023 World Championships, citing that the couple had not passed unspecified eligibility requirements. However, decades of dispute have led to the IBA's demise. The IOC, however, used the sex eligibility criteria from prior Olympics to run the last two Olympic boxing events. In accordance with IOC regulations, Khelif and Lin were both eligible.

In the meanwhile, the president of the Algerian Federation stated in a letter, "Following the recent World Boxing announcement regarding Imane Khelif being excluded from competing in the forthcoming Eindhoven Box Cup 5-10 June 2025, I am writing to you."

"Imane was named by name as part of World Boxing's communication around this decision. For this, I want to extend a formal and heartfelt apology to each of you personally, as well as admit that her right to privacy should have been respected. The statement was meant to provide more context on this and was part of a larger announcement about the proposed implementation of compulsory sex testing under a new policy on "Sex Age and Weight" that World Boxing is currently working on.

"The aim of this policy is to provide a level playing field for all male and female athletes while also ensuring the safety of all participants."

Read Also: Gautam Gambhir and BCCI Call for ‘Rebirth of Shubman Gill’ Ahead of England Tour: ‘Virat Kohli’s Impact Was Unforeseen’
Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!