TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan plans to take legal action against the International Boxing Association (IBA) for making unsubstantiated accusations over boxer Lin Yu-ting's (林郁婷) gender.
The participation of Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in the Olympics has been overshadowed by controversy stirred by the IBA after it disqualified the two athletes from the 2023 Boxing World Championships when they allegedly failed gender tests. On Friday (Aug. 9), the Sports Administration said it would discuss with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) how to file a lawsuit against the IBA after the games.
The Sports Administration confirmed that after Lin was disqualified from the World Championships, it convened a meeting with experts in medicine, sports doping, sports psychology, and sports management. A comprehensive medical examination was conducted on Lin to confirm her qualifications for the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Paris Olympics, and the administration also decided on a future response strategy.
The Sports Administration said that during the Paris Olympics, it coordinated with Taiwan's Olympic committee to meet with the IOC several times, securing its firm support for Lin. It called for public understanding.
Regarding the recent international press conference held by the IBA, the Sports Administration revealed that, following President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) affirmation of support for Lin, a lawyer was commissioned to issue a warning letter to the IBA, reminding it that disclosing Lin’s medical records and personal information is illegal.
On Monday, the IBA, which was stripped of its status as the global governing body of boxing by the International Olympic Committee, held a press conference that was mired by a late start, sound issues, and the IBA's Russian President Umar Kremlev's "lengthy rants,” per Reuters. IBA Chief Executive Chris Roberts said he could not release the details of Lin and Khelif's gender tests but claimed, “The results of the chromosome tests demonstrated both boxers were ineligible.”
At a press conference on Sunday (Aug. 4), IOC Spokesperson Mark Adams said, “The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate,” reported ABC News.
