World Boxing Championships: Sex Eligibility Policy explained — why India's women boxers had to clear it

As the Women’s World Boxing Championships kick off in Liverpool, all 10 Indian women pugilists — including Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen — have been cleared to compete. The clearance came after they successfully underwent genetic sex eligibility testing, a new requirement by the sport’s global governing body, World Boxing (WB).Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Sources confirmed that the Indian boxers underwent advanced FISH-based testing (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation) at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) Patiala before heading to Sheffield for a preparatory training camp. Their test certificates were later verified by WB’s medical and anti-doping committee in Liverpool, allowing them to participate in the Worlds.World Boxing introduced the Sex Eligibility Policy on August 20, 2025, making it mandatory for all female athletes above 18 to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime genetic test. The objective is to determine an athlete’s biological sex at birth, mainly through detection of the Y chromosome or the SRY gene, which defines male biological characteristics.The tests can be conducted through PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) or equivalent methods. Indian boxers opted for the FISH test, which uses fluorescent probes to detect specific DNA or RNA sequences, offering a more advanced diagnostic procedure.Why is the policy controversial?The policy stems from recent disputes over sex eligibility in women’s boxing. Prominent cases include Algeria’s Imane Khelif, Paris Olympics champion, and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, both barred from competing amid gender eligibility challenges. Khelif has even petitioned the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against WB’s ruling.World Boxing argues the policy is necessary for fairness and integrity, ensuring only eligible athletes compete in female categories. However, critics say it could be discriminatory and intrusive. For Indian athletes, clearing the test was crucial — without it, they would have been barred from entering the Championships.