World Boxing President Supports IOC’s Gender Policies Amid Controversy

World Boxing president Boris Van Der Vorst supports the IOC's eligibility policies at the Paris Olympics, emphasizing reliance on medical expertise for gender-related determinations. He criticized the International Boxing Association's disqualification of female boxers and highlighted the importance of athlete safety. World Boxing aims to become the sport's new governing body.

The head of World Boxing, Boris Van Der Vorst, has thrown his weight behind the IOC's eligibility policies for the upcoming Paris Olympics. He urged those without a deep understanding of gender issues to defer to the expertise of medical professionals and scientists.

Van Der Vorst emphasized athlete safety as paramount while acknowledging that combat sports have unique challenges. He expressed strong disagreement with critics of the IOC's handling of eligibility issues, specifically citing the cases of female boxers Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.

“I think it's very important that when people are eligible to compete here, we have to respect them,” Van Der Vorst told the Associated Press. He lamented the influence of social media and the press on the situation.

World Boxing hopes to replace the now-banished International Boxing Association (IBA) as the sport's governing body. If successful, it will oversee major tournaments during the Olympic cycle; if not, boxing may be dropped from the Olympic program.

Van Der Vorst reiterated that World Boxing will prioritize safety and adhere to medical advice while developing its policies on gender identity. The organization currently has 37 member nations and is eyeing the Youth Olympics in Dakar in 2026 and the Los Angeles Games in 2028.