(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Taiwan’s Olympic Boxing Champion Lin Yu-ting Withdraws From World Championships Amid Gender Test Controversy
Taipei, September 2, 2025: Taiwan’s Olympic boxing gold medallist Lin Yu-ting will not compete in the upcoming World Boxing Championships in Liverpool (September 4–14), her country’s boxing association confirmed on Tuesday.
Lin, 29, had been at the centre of global attention alongside Algerian boxer Imane Khelif during the c, where both athletes faced scrutiny over gender eligibility but went on to win gold medals in separate weight divisions.
World Boxing recently introduced a new policy requiring all women over 18 to undergo mandatory gender testing before participating in its sanctioned competitions. Lin’s coach, Tseng Tzu-chiang, earlier confirmed that she had agreed to the tests. Taiwan’s boxing association said it had already submitted Lin’s results but had not received a response from World Boxing.
“We cannot allow the athlete to travel to the UK without any guarantee,” the association told Taiwan’s Central News Agency, explaining why Lin will not attend the championships.
Lin’s withdrawal means neither she nor Khelif will take part in the Liverpool tournament. Khelif, meanwhile, has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge World Boxing’s policy.
The controversy follows their exclusion from the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships in 2023, when the IBA claimed they failed eligibility tests. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended both athletes and allowed them to compete at the Paris Games, calling the IBA’s move “sudden and arbitrary.”
During the Olympics, both Lin and Khelif faced intense social media attacks, rumours, and misinformation about their biological sex. The IOC reaffirmed that both are legally recognized as women, born and raised female, and hold valid passports confirming their status.
With Lin’s absence confirmed and Khelif’s case unresolved, the Liverpool championships are set to go ahead without two of the sport’s biggest names.
