Featured Image Credit: Richard Pelham/Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty Images
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, Imane Khelif
Britt Jones
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, Imane Khelif
There has been controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s gender after her last opponent tapped out after just 46 seconds in the ring with her, but her next contender has some strong words.
Following Italian boxer Angela Carini’s defeat, speculation has been rife about the gender of Khelif.
The boxer previously failed a 'gender eligibility test' carried out by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
This is an association that has had no part in checking the eligibility of athletes for the Olympics after being stripped of its status as the sport's world governing body by the International Olympic Committee in 2023.
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At the time, the BBC wrote that it was due to 'governance issues and alleged corruption.'
However, the test that was carried out to Khelif has since claimed that Khelif had XY chromosomes, which are associated with biological men, as well as having high levels of testosterone.
Khelif has been competing in the women's category for years and is continuing to do so in the Olympics.
But her fight against Italy's Angela Carini ended after just 46 seconds when she tapped out, and broke down in tears.
The fighter said after the fight: "I went into the ring to fight. I didn't give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough.
"I'm leaving with my head held high."
Now, Khelif's next opponent has spoken out in the midst of a slew of conspiracies against the Algerian boxer’s gender.
Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori said: "I'm not scared. I don't care about the press story and social media.
"If she or he is a man, it will be a bigger victory for me if I win.”
Since the fight, Algeria's Olympic Committee has called the controversy ‘malicious and unethical attacks directed against our distinguished athlete, Imane Khelif, by certain foreign media.’
However, Khelif isn’t the only boxer to face these issues, as Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting was also disqualified by the IBA after failing to meet criteria from a gender test.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has since urged fans to support her, saying: "We should stand united and cheer for her."
The IOC released a statement regarding the gender controversy: "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) (please find all applicable rules here).
"As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.
"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process."