Two fighters disqualified at women’s world championships

NEW DELHI — Algeria’s Imane Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold medal bout at the women’s world championships in New Delhi after she failed to meet the eligibility criteria, the International Boxing Association (IBA) said on Sunday.

The 23-year-old was scheduled to meet Yang Liu in the 66-kilogram division final, but Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, who lost to Khelif in the semifinals, will fight the Chinese fighter instead.

“A boxer from Algeria Imane Khelif was excluded from the IBA World Boxing Championships due to the failure to meet the IBA eligibility criteria,” the governing body said in a statement.

“The IBA upholds its rules and regulations as well as its athletes’ personal and medical privacy, the eligibility criteria breach therefore cannot be shared by the IBA.”

The Algerian Olympic Committee said Khelif was disqualified for “medical reasons” and that it would support her preparation for the African qualification tournament for next year’s Paris Olympics.

Algerian media reported Khelif was disqualified for high level of testosterone in her system.