PARIS: Imane Khalif is a 25-year-old boxer from Algeria who is participating in the women’s 66 kg (welterweight) boxing event at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.
Hailing from Tiaret, the Algerian pugilist is currently serving as an ambassador of UNICEF. She initially played football before switching to boxing.
She had previously spoken at length about the struggles faced by her while growing up in a rural village. Imane Khalif revealed that she was barred from playing initially by her father, as “he did not approve of boxing for girls.”
The star boxer started-off her professional career in the 2018 World Championships, where she ended up in 17th place after losing in the first round.
In the 2019 edition of the World Championships, she finished 33rd after being knocked out in the first round again.
The Algerian boxer represented her country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she managed to reach the quarterfinals.
She scripted history by storming into the finals of the World Championship in 2022 but lost out on the gold medal.
IBA President Umar Kremlev disqualified Khelif from the 2023 World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
“Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition,” the IBA President said in a statement.
However, the Algerian Olympic Committee took a different stance and cited “medical conditions” as the reason behind her disqualification whereas Algerian media had reported that Khelif was disqualified for high testosterone levels.
This decision clearly did not go down well with Khelif who said, “There are some countries that do not want Algeria to win a gold medal. This is a conspiracy and a big conspiracy, and we will not be silent about it.”
The Algerian boxer got embroiled in a latest controversy at the Paris Olympics 2024 and is making headlines for a gender-related issue.
Imane faced Italy’s Angela Carini in her first match of the Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday (August 1) and won it after Carini withdrew from the battle after just 46 seconds of action. Despite her win, the Algerian is facing a lot of backlash.
But, the IOC and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, has come out in her support and issued a a joint statement saying every athlete taking part at the 2024 Games in Paris complied with their regulations.
“Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination,” it said. “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).”
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