An 18-year-old English boxer, George Francis, has spoken of his devastation after being forced to withdraw from the Under-19 World Championships in Budva, Montenegro, because his team failed to arrange a mandatory sex verification test. The oversight, which Francis describes as an "administrative error" by England Boxing, left him "broken" and unable to compete in the 60kg category.
A Dream Derailed
Francis, a multiple schoolboy and junior national champion from Essex, had trained relentlessly for what would have been his first World Championships. "It was the worst news I've ever had in my life," he told BBC Sport. "I was just broken. They were speaking to me and I couldn't even really hear. I was devastated. I couldn't really talk. I literally couldn't feel anything. There was a hole left there."
The fighter was informed of his ineligibility only hours before the draw. "They got me in a room and told me that I couldn't box because they didn't know if I was a boy or a girl, basically," he said. "The explanation was that they couldn't provide a blood sample for me in time. Everyone else was able to provide a blood sample, but they just forgot me. Somehow I wasn't on the system. Apparently, there were no qualified doctors in Budva to do it. It's crazy."
Mandatory Testing Rules
World Boxing introduced mandatory genetic sex testing for female competitors aged 18 and above last year, with national federations responsible for ensuring samples were processed. The policy aimed to ensure "the safety of all participants and provide a level playing field." In January, the rules were extended to include male boxers. Francis turned 18 just four days before flying to Montenegro, which may have contributed to the oversight.
The controversy follows a major row at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting won gold medals despite being disqualified from the previous year's World Championships for allegedly failing sex eligibility tests conducted by the then governing body, the International Boxing Association.
Fallout and Future
Francis claims he has yet to receive a direct apology from England Boxing, although his father has been contacted. "I haven't had one phone call or message from them. I've just been forgotten about. I don't know how that's been allowed," he said. The missed opportunity also means he has lost the chance to qualify for the Olympics, and he now plans to turn professional. "I feel like there's nothing really left for me as an amateur," he added.
In a statement, England Boxing acknowledged that an administrative oversight occurred and said it worked closely with competition organisers to explore all options. "We maintained open communication with George and his family throughout, despite this, a resolution was not possible," the governing body said. "George remained a valued member of the England team, including representing the squad as flag bearer. England Boxing has no greater priority than the health and wellbeing of athletes on its performance pathway and are committed to learning from this experience and strengthening our processes to prevent a recurrence."
World Boxing has been approached for comment. The incident echoes a similar episode in 2025, when a dozen female fighters across five nations were barred from the World Championships in Liverpool because deadlines for their sex tests were missed.
Francis hopes his experience will prompt changes to ensure no other athlete suffers the same fate. "Going forward, there should be someone there making sure it doesn't happen because I don't want any of these mistakes happening to anybody else," he said.
