France’s women’s boxing team has been barred from competing at the World Championships in Liverpool after failing to submit mandatory genetic sex test results in time, sparking outrage from the French federation.
World Boxing, the governing body for amateur boxing, introduced the new rule last month, requiring all women athletes to undergo genetic testing to determine their sex at birth. The policy has already drawn criticism, with France calling it discriminatory and logistically unworkable.
French law prohibits such genetic testing, forcing the French federation (FFBoxe) to send its five fighters to a laboratory in Leeds on Monday. But on Thursday, just hours after the tournament opened, the FFBoxe confirmed the lab could not provide results before the deadline, leaving the boxers ineligible to compete.
“It is with stupefaction and indignation that the French team learned… the French women’s boxing team would not be able to compete,” FFBoxe said in a statement. “Despite guarantees given to us by World Boxing, the laboratory they recommended was not up to the task. Our athletes, as well as those from other countries, have been caught in this trap and excluded.”
According to BBC Sport, 12 fighters in total have been barred from the competition, including all five French athletes, alongside boxers from Nigeria, Fiji, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic.
World Boxing defended its stance, insisting responsibility lay with national federations. “Since announcing its intention to introduce mandatory sex testing, World Boxing has made it clear that testing would be the responsibility of national federations,” it said. “It is very disappointing that some federations have not been able to complete this process in time.”
The ruling comes as the championships, running from 4–14 September, are seen as a key test of World Boxing’s authority after its breakaway from the International Boxing Association (IBA). Critics argue the new policy risks overshadowing the competition and punishing athletes for bureaucratic failures beyond their control.
For the sidelined fighters, the decision is a devastating blow. For boxing, it raises fresh questions about governance, fairness and the future of women’s sport.
