An 18-year-old English boxer was forced to withdraw from the Under-19 World Championships in Montenegro after a administrative oversight by England Boxing.
George Francis, a multiple junior national champion, was informed hours before the draw that he could not compete because his team failed to arrange a required sex verification test, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
World Boxing introduced mandatory genetic sex testing for competitors aged 18 and older to ensure a level playing field, according to BBC Sport.
Francis, who turned 18 just days before the event, stated he was left feeling broken by the exclusion.
“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,” the fighter said.
England Boxing acknowledged the error in a statement, noting that they worked to explore options once the issue became apparent.
The governing body claimed they maintained communication with the family, though Francis alleged he has not received direct contact from them.
The incident follows a wider trend of testing complications within the sport, including a recent case where a dozen female fighters were barred from a tournament in Liverpool due to missed deadlines, as documented by the BBC.
Francis, who has now missed his chance to qualify for the Olympics, plans to turn professional.
He expressed hope that future protocols will be strengthened to prevent similar mistakes.
The fighter described the experience as the worst news of his life after training non-stop for the competition.
World Boxing has been approached for comment regarding the specific oversight that excluded the teenager from the event.
England Boxing stated they are committed to learning from the experience to ensure such failures do not recur for other athletes.