A teenage English boxer says he was left "broken" after he was banned from competing at the Under-19 World Championships because his team forgot to organise a sex verification test to prove he is male.
George Francis, 18, was due to fight in the 60kg category in Budva, Montenegro last month.
But he says that he was informed he was ineligible only hours before the draw because of an "administrative oversight" by governing body England Boxing.
"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," Francis told BBC Sport.
"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."
A multiple schoolboy and junior national champion, Francis said he had been training "non-stop" for the "dream" of representing England in his first World Championships.
"It was the worst news I've ever had in my life," said the Essex-based fighter, whose plight was first reported by the Times newspaper.
"I wouldn't wish it on anyone, to be honest. I was just broken.
