Nearly 17 months ago in New Delhi, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was disqualified from the International Boxing Association’s world championships days after she won an early-round bout with Azalia Amineva, a previously unbeaten Russian prospect. The disqualification meant Amineva’s official record was perfect again. The IBA said Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan had failed “to meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.” The governing body claimed the fighters had failed unspecified eligibility tests — the same tests that ignited controversy about gender regulations and perceptions in sports this week as Khelif and Lin compete at the Paris Olympics. The IBA’s decision last year — and its curious timing, related to Amineva’s loss to Khelif — would have raised warning signs around the sports world if more people cared about amateur boxing, or even knew more about the IBA under president Umar Kremlev of Russia.<br><br>The boxing world has learned to expect anything from the governing body that was given the unprecedented punishment of being permanently banned from the Olympics last year. The non-boxing world largely doesn’t know.<div></div><br>