Lin Yu-ting: Another boxer who failed gender test, reaches quarters at Paris Olympics 2024

New Delhi: Lin Yu-ting, the Chinese Taipei boxer who is currently embroiled in a gender row, got off to a winning start at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Friday. Lin defeated Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan in her round of 16 match in the women’s 57kg category to confirm her spot in the quarter-finals of the event. Lin won her game by unanimous decision to march to the next round.

Lin’s victory comes amid a social media firestorm over gender eligibility in boxing at the Paris Olympics 2024 after Algeria’s Imane Khelif’s dominant win against Italy’s Angela Carini. Carini quit her bout against Khelif in just 46 seconds, alleging that one of the punches from the Alegrian ‘hurt too much’. Ever since the controversial bout, Khelif has been facing abuse on the internet with her gender being scrutinised.

Lin is one of the two boxers along with Khelif, whose gender identity has been under question at the Games after they failed the gender eligibility test at the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year. Both boxers were banned from participating in the World Championships in New Delhi after their failed gender tests as the official stated that they had male chromosomes.

The gender row in boxing started after Carini quit her bout against Khelif abruptly. The Italian boxer also alleged it was ‘unfair’ while asking her camp that she didn’t want to compete further in the match. The controversial bout sparked a massive debate online as many raised questions over IOA’s eligibility criteria in women’s boxing.

The likes of Donald Trump, Elon Musk and author J.K. Rowling among others came out in support if Carini, raising doubts over Khelif’s real gender. However, both Lin and Khelif have always competed in the women’s category and neither identifies herself as transgender or intersex.

IOC’s stand on the gender row in boxing at Paris Olympics

While both Lin and Khelif have garnered overwhelming support from their respective countries and federations, the International Olympic Council has also rubbished any claims of the boxers being ‘ineligible’ to compete in women’s boxing. Olympic committee spokesman Mark Adams said both have been competing in women’s sports for years now and it is not a transgender issue.

“I should make this absolutely clear to everyone: this is not a transgender issue. These women have been competing in competitions for many years,” said Adams.

“This involves real people and we’re talking about real people’s lives here,” he added.

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 Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting, who also failed her gender test at the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year, defeated Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan to make it to the quarter-finals in the women’s 57 kg category on Friday.  Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today