Gender pushback is being faced by an Algerian female boxer
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, has found herself at the center of a controversy regarding gender roles in sports following the withdrawal of Angela Carini, an Italian opponent, from their match at the Olympics in Paris.
Conservatives like former US President Donald Trump and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni have voiced their outrage. After passing vague and opaque eligibility requirements for women's competition from the now-banned International Boxing Association, Khelif was barred from the 2023 world championships.Due to the conflict between boxing's governing organization and the International Olympic Committee, Khelif was assigned female at birth, as stated on her passport. This is the IOC's qualification requirement for boxing.
Khelif is a strong fighter who has competed in important international competitions. Over the past six years, he has participated in significant amateur boxing events including the Tokyo Olympics. She has several gold medals from the region.
Khelif is a strong fighter who has competed in important international competitions. Over the past six years, he has participated in significant amateur boxing events including the Tokyo Olympics. She has several gold medals from the region.
However, before this past week in Paris, Khelif was unquestionably not regarded as a dominant champion, an intimidating physical specimen, or even a particularly hard puncher at her weight.
Thursday's 46-second victory over Carini was the result of the Italian boxer's emotional withdrawal from the bout, which gave rise to many depictions of Khelif as an unstoppable hitting machine who endangers the health of her opponents.
Thursday's 46-second victory over Carini was the result of the Italian boxer's emotional withdrawal from the bout, which gave rise to many depictions of Khelif as an unstoppable hitting machine who endangers the health of her opponents.
For those who watch or engage in Olympic-style boxing, the reality is very different. What you need know about Khelif and the dispute is as follows:
Who is Imane Khelif?
Khelif was raised in rural northwest Algeria and was born in 1999. Although Khelif said she gave up soccer as a teenager to follow her new passion—even though it required her to travel 10 kilometers each way to the gym—her father didn't initially support her partaking in boxing.
After a while, Khelif attracted the interest of Algeria's national team. In 2018, she participated in her first big competition, losing in the first round of the AIBA world championships (now known as the International Boxing Association). She struggled and lost five of her first six elite-level fights, but she became better.
After a while, Khelif attracted the interest of Algeria's national team. In 2018, she participated in her first big competition, losing in the first round of the AIBA world championships (now known as the International Boxing Association). She struggled and lost five of her first six elite-level fights, but she became better.
Three years ago, Khelif was one of the first three Olympic women's boxers from Algeria to be sent to Tokyo. She defeated eventual gold medallist Kellie Harrington of Ireland in her second fight, but she won the first.
By performing well in the next two global championships, she further increased her visibility. Earlier this year, she was appointed a national ambassador for UNICEF.
By performing well in the next two global championships, she further increased her visibility. Earlier this year, she was appointed a national ambassador for UNICEF.
Why was she disqualified from the world championships?
Khelif advanced to the world championship final in 2023, but the IBA quickly disqualified her due to elevated testosterone levels in her body. Since then, the circumstances surrounding that disqualification have been seen as extremely exceptional, and Khelif referred to it as "a big conspiracy" at the time.
She had never had a problem competing before, and it wasn't until she beat Russian boxer Azalia Amineva in the 2023 competition that the sport's regulating board disqualified her. Under his leadership, the IBA is dominated by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, who relocated a significant portion of the organization's activities to Russia and secured support from the state-owned energy provider Gazprom.
This week, Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan "were suddenly disqualified without any due process," according to the IOC, which called it "a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA." Lin was placed on suspension because he didn't pass a biochemical test that had certain eligibility requirements.
Like the IBA virtually often, the reasons behind the two disqualifications are exceedingly ambiguous. Little information regarding the tests' nature, including what was tested and by whom, has been made public by the regulatory body. Major Olympic sports would not tolerate this lack of transparency, and the IBA has been prohibited from competing since 2019.
The IOC pointed out on Thursday that the decision was made by the IBA secretary general in a unilateral manner, according to documentation from the boxing association. According to those records, the IBA disqualified the two fighters before deciding at a meeting that it needed "establish a clear procedure on gender testing."
Why is the news of Khelif competing such a big deal?
J.K. Rowling, the author of "Harry Potter," Meloni, Trump, and others have voiced their displeasure with Khelif's eligibility to compete.
Khelif's involvement was seen by the political far-right in Italy, which has been focusing on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, as the most recent example of how "woke" culture is permeating sports. Speaking with IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday, Meloni issued a warning that extreme forms of "ideology" might be discriminatory and detrimental to women's rights.
Khelif's involvement was seen by the political far-right in Italy, which has been focusing on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, as the most recent example of how "woke" culture is permeating sports. Speaking with IOC President Thomas Bach on Friday, Meloni issued a warning that extreme forms of "ideology" might be discriminatory and detrimental to women's rights.
There has been "a lot of misinformation around on social media particularly, which is damaging," IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told reporters on Friday.
After the breakup with the sports regulatory body, boxing in Paris is managed by a special IOC-appointed unit, which the Olympic body claims is implementing rules, including eligibility decisions, that are based on the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
After the breakup with the sports regulatory body, boxing in Paris is managed by a special IOC-appointed unit, which the Olympic body claims is implementing rules, including eligibility decisions, that are based on the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
This week, the IOC emphasized that there is no political or scientific consensus regarding gender and justice issues. In 2021, it provided the sports regulatory organizations with updated guidelines.
Since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, a number of sports organizations, such as the International Cycling Union, World Aquatics, and World Athletics, have revised their eligibility requirements. They all agreed to exclude athletes who underwent male puberty and made the switch from male to female competition in women's events.
Since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, a number of sports organizations, such as the International Cycling Union, World Aquatics, and World Athletics, have revised their eligibility requirements. They all agreed to exclude athletes who underwent male puberty and made the switch from male to female competition in women's events.
World Athletics also toughened regulations last year, requiring testosterone testing for competitors who were medically diagnosed as female at birth but who had a disease that gave them certain male characteristics.
Is Khelif too good for Paris?
Aside from Carini's peculiar behavior, it's improbable that anyone else in the women's 66-kilogram class believes Khelif is unbeatable.
Her next opponent, Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori, declared on Thursday, "I'm not scared." On Saturday, they will square off. "I don't give a damn about social media or the story."
In a sport where the Olympic draw frequently decides the semifinal field by randomly pairing elite fighters too early in the competition, Khelif is a medal candidate.
However, Khelif isn't currently seen as being on par with the top two seeds in Paris, Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey, the reigning Olympic winner, and Yang Liu of China, the 2023 world champion.
Her next opponent, Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori, declared on Thursday, "I'm not scared." On Saturday, they will square off. "I don't give a damn about social media or the story."
In a sport where the Olympic draw frequently decides the semifinal field by randomly pairing elite fighters too early in the competition, Khelif is a medal candidate.
However, Khelif isn't currently seen as being on par with the top two seeds in Paris, Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey, the reigning Olympic winner, and Yang Liu of China, the 2023 world champion.
