Monday, June 30, 2025
Home Tenis Martina Navratilova sends strongly worded message about Imane Khelif after controversial boxer...

Martina Navratilova sends strongly worded message about Imane Khelif after controversial boxer withdraws from event with new sex testing policy

Martina Navratilova has made her feelings known about transgender athletes participating in women’s sports. She responded to a recent news report that Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif has withdrawn from participating in the Eindhoven Box Cup.

Khelif, whose gender has been the source of debate before and after the Olympics, did not show up for the event after World Boxing introduced a more stringent PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to ascertain boxers’ birth gender. That test supersedes the Olympic standard, which was to accept the gender given on an athlete’s passport.

Khelif has failed tests before. She was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the then-governing body, the IBA, which insisted that their tests showed that Khelif had male chromosomes. 18-time Major singles champion Navratilova has been a vocal critic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sport, and used her X account to applaud World Boxing’s new test, writing:

"Oops- what a surprise. Hopefully Imane will never get a chance to hit another woman in the boxing ring."

The organizers of the Eindhoven event have criticized World Boxing's stance. They have distanced themselves from the new testing and insisted that "As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven," according to the Daily Mail.

Martina Navratilova is a long-standing opponent of transgender athletes competing in women's sports

Day Ten: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024 - Source: Getty
Day Ten: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024 - Source: Getty

Martina Navratilova has a well-known voice in liberal politics, but her stance on transgender athletes has often been criticized as illiberal. The tennis icon has always been a staunch defender of LGBTQ and women's rights, and often promotes her views on her many platforms, but particularly X, where she has 457,000 followers.

Navratilova sees the issue of transgender individuals in sport through the lens of women's rights. She has often stated that, in her view, it was impossible to achieve a level playing field for women if biological males competed against them. Last year, Navratilova told Express.co.uk that she understood her views were not universally popular, saying:

"Yes, it's been pretty rough, but I know I'm on the right side of history. I'm right on most people's opinion about women's sex-based spaces, and especially sports. They need to stay female but the politics have been kind of crazy about that."

Martina Navratilova was World No. 1 for 332 weeks in the 1970s and 1980s. Many observers consider the Czech-born naturalized US citizen to be the greatest women's player in the history of the sport.

Quick Links

Edited by Hitesh Nigam
RELATED ARTICLES

“As annoying as Carlos Alcaraz & Emma Raducanu” – Fans ‘pressed’ over Novak Djokovic & Aryna Sabalenka’s back-to-back hilarious Wimbledon interactions

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka appeared for a fun exchange during the pre-tournament press conference at Wimbledon. The duo, who are often engaging in fun banter with each other, were compared to Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu as fans were 'pressed' over their frequent appearances. Ad Sabalenka spotted the Serb in the wings during her

“Mum only came to my matches if she thought I was going to lose… It made me think, ‘Uh oh!'”: When John McEnroe opened...

John McEnroe once opened up about the protective role his mother, Katherine "Kay" McEnroe, played in his career. The American also clarified why his mom was not a regular presence in his player's box and only chose to attend certain matches. Ad McEnroe had a highly decorated tennis career, winning seven Grand Slam singles titles

“I lost it somewhere” – Coco Gauff opens up about Wimbledon debut against Venus Williams & how she regained her ‘belief’

Coco Gauff recently opened up about the experience of her Wimbledon debut against Venus Williams in 2019. The American is currently gearing up to compete in Wimbledon 2025, which is slated to commence on June 30 and will conclude on July 13. Ad Gauff was last seen in action at the Grass Court Championships, where

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Malik Beasley comes under investigation due to gambling allegations: Report

Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigation by federal authorities for alleged gambling on NBA games and prop bets, according to ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday. The allegations go back to the 2023-24 season when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Ad Expand Tweet Ad Trending According to ESPN's David Purdum, Beasley was investigated

Zach Lowe puts Nico Harrison on blast for boasting about fans being on board with his ‘vision’

Sportswriter Zach Lowe has slammed Dallas Mavericks manager Nico Harrison for his recent statement about fans aligning with his "vision." Harrison has had a rocky relationship with Mavs fans for the past few months as he traded away Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers. Ad However, in a turn of events, the Mavericks won the

Bucks Free Agency: Milwaukee eyes French big as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s new frontcourt partner amid Brook Lopez rumors

With NBA free agency opening Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks are preparing for the likely departure of center Brook Lopez. On Sunday's edition of The Stein Line, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that there is a growing consensus that Lopez would be exploring a different market. With Milwaukee already looking to fill Lopez's spot at the

“Lmao Rob Pelinka will burn in hell”: Lakers fans in shambles after Dorian Finney-Smith declines $15.4M option to return

LA Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith will decline his $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Sunday. He will enter free agency and does not lack suitors, as multiple teams are reportedly expected to show interest in the forward starting Monday night. Ad Expand Tweet Ad Trending The report has

Recent Comments