President Donald Trump has increasingly positioned himself in the combat sports culture. He has previously floated ideas such as hosting UFC-related events during his first term. However, he recently sparked fresh controversy while addressing Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives. What did he say? “[They] have a young gentleman, who transitioned, who’s a very good boxer, but he wanted to be a woman…” Trump said during his speech. 

Trump’s remarks echoed claims he has previously made about Olympic boxing that have been widely disputed. The athletes he appeared to reference, Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, are not transgender. Both were assigned female at birth and competed in women’s boxing under International Olympic Committee eligibility rules despite having Differences of Sex Development (DSD).

“[And] the [other] girl was a champion boxer from Italy… He happened to win the gold medal… There were two transition people. They both won gold medals. The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump added. “You have policy on your side. They don’t have policy on [their] side.” These remarks appear to have given the International Boxing Association (IBA) an opening to make its point in front of the world. 

IBA renews call for stricter gender eligibility rules in women’s sport

Following Trump’s statement, IBA President Umar Kremlev has urged all the international sporting organisations to come up with enforceable policies to protect women’s sport. He also asked them to ban all transgender athletes from all sports. “We remember the last Olympic Games not for sporting records or bright emotions, but for Paris becoming a symbol of mockery toward women and their rights,” Kremlev said. 

Kremlev’s comments align with the IBA’s long-standing opposition to the IOC’s eligibility framework. The federation has repeatedly clashed with Olympic authorities over governance, testing transparency, and political independence.

“Unfortunately, no one has yet taken responsibility for what happened by allowing ineligible boxers to compete. Now, a firm decision is needed at the state level to protect female athletes. I would like to thank President Trump once again for his strong position on banning transgender athletes from women’s sport last year,” he added. 

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“It demonstrates clear leadership moving forward, ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, and sets an important example for respective heads of state. Now is the time for all sports to develop policies like boxing; transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete against women,” Kremlev claimed. Moreover, he claimed that IBA is the only organisation that has taken meaningful steps, a position disputed by several international federations that have adopted their own eligibility frameworks. 

He highlighted that they have established a formal policy to protect women’s categories through defining gender within the IBA Technical and Competition Rules, alongside gender tests during IBA competitions. This, of course, comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took a drastic step involving the IBA themselves. 

IOC removed IBA from the Olympic movement

The IOC officially succeeded in removing the IBA from the Olympic movement after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the federation’s appeal. CAS ruled that the IBA “had not complied with the conditions set down by the IOC for recognition,” effectively ending its Olympic status.

The decision stems from long-standing concerns over governance, financial dependence on Russian energy giant Gazprom, and the integrity of officiating. According to CAS, the IBA “had not increased its financial transparency and sustainability, including through diversification of revenues,” while also failing to reform its refereeing and judging systems to “ensure its integrity.”

The panel further noted that the IBA failed to implement governance reforms, including a necessary “change of culture.” CAS emphasized that the IOC’s authority to determine recognition conditions outweighed the IBA’s rights. Despite the ruling, boxing remained in the 2024 Olympics, overseen by the IOC itself. 

They feared that 2028 wouldn’t have boxing in the Games. However, they later appointed World Boxing to oversee the sport in the coming 2028 Olympic Games. 

Having said that, it appears IBA continues to maintain its stance against trans women in women’s boxing. But what do you think about?