IBA press conference over gender row boxers descends into CHAOS as Russian president launches bizarre Olympics opening ceremony rant and doubles down on calling IOC president a ‘sodomite’

The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a bizarre press conference on Monday in which they again questioned the participation of two female boxers in the Olympic Games.

It has been a very controversial few days in Paris, with Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting causing a stir with their participation in the women’s boxing event in Paris.

Both fighters were disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championship after the IBA claimed they had failed a gender test.

The pair have reached the semi-finals of the Olympic Games, meaning they are both guaranteed at least a bronze medal. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has repeatedly defended their right to compete.

And on Monday, the IBA held a press conference in Paris about the gender of Khelif and Yu-Ting, after which the briefing descended into chaos.

The participation of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in women’s boxing has been very controversial

Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan were disqualified from last year’s world championships after the IBA claimed they had failed gender eligibility tests, but the IOC allowed them into Paris

IBA President Umar Kremlev began – after an hour’s delay – with criticism of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, expressing his concerns about the way Christianity is portrayed in it.

However, his opening speech, which could be followed via a live connection, was disrupted by sound problems.

IBA CEO Chris Roberts then explained how Khelif and Yu-Ting both underwent two blood tests: one in 2022 and one in 2023.

He said the results “show the chromosomes that we refer to in the competition rules and which render both boxers ineligible.”

He later added: “We are not able to give you the test ourselves because we are not medically certain of the situation.”

Kremlev then reiterated his criticism of the opening ceremony, accusing the IOC of “destroying women’s sport.” He then hinted that the IBA would “pay compensation to all the women who suffered” as a result of the two boxers’ participation in Paris.

The Russian then went on to level further criticism at IOC President Thomas Bach, whom he called a “supreme sodomite.”

The press conference later became even more chaotic when two loud electric bangs were heard in the room. Kremlev’s interpreter struggled to follow the Russian’s tirade, leaving most of the audience unable to hear what was happening.

An IBA doctor also commented on the test results at the press conference. The doctor said: ‘The results (of the test) suggest that the boxers are male.’

However, this did not satisfy the audience and the press conference descended into chaos, as several journalists cursed at the doctor.

The IBA has recently been criticized for its alleged close ties to the Kremlin. During Kremlev’s time, Russia’s state energy company Gazprom was one of the IBA’s sponsors.

IBA President Umar Kremlev launched into a stunning tirade over the opening ceremony

IBA CEO Chris Roberts explained how both boxers were deemed ‘ineligible’ following tests

After Khelif and Yu-Ting were cleared to compete in Paris, the Olympic website reported that they had been disqualified from the world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) because their elevated testosterone levels did not meet eligibility criteria.

Kremlev – who organised the match – said further DNA testing had “proven they had XY chromosomes” – in short, that they were classified as “biologically male”.

On the eve of Thursday’s highly controversial bout between Khelif and Italian opponent Angela Carini, the IBA released a statement clarifying why the Algerian and Yu-Tin were disqualified from last year’s world championships.

Reference was made to an “accurate” assessment that was “extremely important and necessary to maintain the level of fairness and integrity of the competition”.

The letter added that no testosterone tests were conducted, but “a separate and recognized test, the details of which remain confidential.” That test “conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and that they had a competitive advantage over other female competitors.”

The IBA said the ban was also based on tests carried out at the 2022 World Boxing Championships and, significantly, said Khelif had withdrawn an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, making the decision legally binding.

In a dig at the IOC, they expressed “concerns about the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting bodies, including those overseeing the Olympic Games.” “The IOC’s differing rules on these matters raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athlete safety,” they added.

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