Khelif, an Olympic medallist, has been at the center of a storm in women's boxing. She's got a condition called hyperandrogenism, which means she has higher than usual testosterone levels. This has raised questions about fair competition and safety in the ring.
The issue came to a head during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Navratilova questioned Khelif's participation in women's boxing. Things got even more heated when Angela Carini pulled out of a fight after taking just one punch from Khelif.
After the Olympics, new tests on Khelif showed some unusual results. These findings have put her boxing future in doubt. World Boxing stepped in and said they'll now test all athletes to make sure they're competing in the right category.
Navratilova, who's known for speaking her mind on social issues, was happy about World Boxing's decision. She thinks it's important to have categories based on biological sex in sports, especially in contact sports like boxing where physical differences can affect safety.
When Khelif wasn't allowed to compete in the Eindhoven Box Cup, Navratilova celebrated. She said it would stop Khelif from "beating up more women in a ring."
This whole situation shows how tricky it can be to balance inclusion with fair competition in sports. It's a hot topic, and Navratilova, as an openly gay sportswoman and cancer survivor, has strong views on it.
The debate isn't likely to go away anytime soon. As more tests are done and more decisions are made, we'll see how women's boxing and other sports deal with these complex issues.