Taiwan’s sports administration has issued a warning of potential legal action against the International Boxing Association due to its “ongoing dissemination of false information” regarding the gender eligibility issue ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris.
During a tumultuous press conference on Monday, the contentious boxing body reaffirmed its allegations that the International Olympic Committee was jeopardizing women’s sports by permitting Lin Yu-ting, competing for Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), and Imane Khelif from Algeria to participate in Paris.
Both boxers, who are guaranteed a minimum of a bronze medal, were previously barred by the IBA from the world championships last year after the organization claimed to have conducted tests concluding that they did not meet its gender eligibility standards.
Umar Kremlev, the Russian head of the IBA, shared his views during a meandering video conference from an office that appeared to be in Moscow, stating that the athletes exhibited “men’s level of testosterone.” He also disparaged IOC President Thomas Bach and condemned the Games’ opening ceremony as “something horrific for all Christians and Muslims worldwide.”
At the press conference, the IBA’s medical representative Ioannis Filippatos and chief executive Chris Roberts, a former head of Scottish boxing, clarified that the athletes underwent chromosome testing rather than testosterone testing.
“The chromosome test results indicated that both boxers were deemed ineligible,” Roberts remarked.
Roberts also noted that he could not discuss the matter further after receiving notices from the Taiwanese and Algerian authorities earlier that day instructing him not to disclose any personal information about the boxers.
On Tuesday, the Taiwanese sports administration released a statement expressing its dissatisfaction with the IBA’s ongoing remarks about the case, which surged into the spotlight after Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her match against Khelif just 46 seconds in, claiming she had never experienced such a hard hit.
A representative from the sports administration stated: “The sports administration strongly protests the International Boxing Association’s persistent spread of falsehoods, obfuscating the truth, and seeking to disrupt the event’s normal proceedings, disregarding the rights and interests of athletes.
“The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee has also engaged a lawyer to send a formal warning letter to the IBA. We reserve the right to seek recourse and will pursue a lawsuit if deemed necessary.”
Last year, the IBA lost its status as a governing body due to its failure to implement necessary reforms concerning governance and finance, with the IOC labeling the organization’s tests as lacking in credibility.
The IOC has stated that both boxers are qualified to compete in Paris, as they were registered as females at birth and hold passports identifying them as female.
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IOC spokesperson Mark Adams remarked that the IBA’s press conference held in the Salon des Mirroirs function room in central Paris underscored the organization’s inability to fulfill its responsibilities.
He stated: “I will refrain from commenting on the chaotic events from yesterday. It clearly illustrates that the sport of boxing requires a new federation to oversee its operations.
“If you need any evidence at all that the IBA is unfit to manage boxing, just look at the key figures in the IBA who participated in that debacle yesterday.”
Adams emphasized that the IOC is eager to see boxing included in the Los Angeles Games in 2028 but stressed that the sport must unify to establish a new governing body.
He concluded: “We would love to see boxing; we want boxing to be part of the program in LA. Now it’s incumbent upon the boxing community to organize for the sport and for the athletes.”
