Nigeria’s women boxers are among athletes barred from the World Boxing Championships which begins in Liverpool on Thursday.
World Boxing confirmed that the decision leaves 12 fighters excluded from the tournament, among them are boxers from Nigeria, Fiji Island, France, Philippines and Dominican Republic.
World Boxing barred the boxers after failing to meet the deadline for mandatory genetic sex test results.
The international governing body for amateur boxing, introduced the controversial rule in August.
It requires all women over 18 who wish to compete in World Boxing sanctioned events to undergo a PCR genetic test to confirm their sex at birth.
The rule took effect at the championships, which began Thursday in north-west England and runs until September 14.
The French boxing federation (FFBoxe) confirmed its five boxers missed the deadline despite traveling to a Leeds laboratory recommended by World Boxing.
FFBoxe said the lab could not deliver results in time, calling the exclusion “stupendous and unfair.”
The body insisted responsibility lies with national federations, not the global body.
“Federations oversee the entry process and know which boxers require testing.”
” It is very disappointing that some failed to complete the process,” the organisation said in a statement.
While World Boxing declined to disclose if any boxer failed the test, it confirmed only incomplete processes led to the bans.
The ruling has intensified debate around gender eligibility in boxing.
Algerian Olympic champion Imane Khelif has already appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the Sex Test Rule policy, describing it as discriminatory.
Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, also excluded from the 2023 World Championships, has similarly opposed the Sex Test Rule .
World Boxing received provisional IOC recognition in February 2025, inheriting governance responsibilities after the IBA’s suspension.
