Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Faces Controversy Amid Olympic Success

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif recently secured her first victory at the Olympics when her opponent, Angela Carini from Italy, had to quit after taking numerous hits to the face just moments into the match. However, this win has unfortunately stirred up some misguided controversy against Khelif, who has been facing criticism and misgendering during these Games.

Khelif was born in 1999 in Tiaret, Algeria, and has been boxing since childhood. She has always competed in women’s categories. Over her career, she participated in the Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi in 2018, where she finished in 17th place, and she went on to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, reaching the quarterfinals. In 2022, she also finished second in the Women’s World Championships held in Istanbul.

Things seemed to be going well for Khelif until the 2023 World Cup organized by the International Boxing Association, or IBA. The IBA, which is led by Russia and is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), disqualified Khelif after a gender eligibility test reportedly indicated she has XY chromosomes. IBA president Umar Kremlev accused both Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting of attempting to deceive others by pretending to be women. Khelif has strongly contested these allegations.

Luckily, both Khelif and Lin were still permitted to compete in Olympic boxing. The rules regarding admission are overseen by the so-called Boxing Unit, which has made sure that all athletes participating in the Games meet the eligibility rules and medical regulations, which include verified medical certificates submitted at least three months before the competitions began.

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams stated in a recent press conference, “These boxers are completely eligible. They are women on their passports, they are women who have competed in the Tokyo Olympics and have been competing for many years. I think we all have a responsibility to tone it down and not turn it into a witch hunt.”

Despite this clarification, Khelif continued to face condemnation on social media. Notably, X owner Elon Musk shared a tweet from swimmer Riley Gaines asserting that “men don’t belong in women’s sports.” Meanwhile, author J.K. Rowling wrongly labeled Khelif as “a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.”

It’s important to note that Khelif is participating in the Olympics because she meets the requirements set by the IOC. The Boxing Unit and IOC issued a statement on Thursday denouncing the IBA’s ban as an arbitrary decision made without proper procedure, especially given that Khelif had been competing at a high level for many years.

The recent controversies surrounding Khelif have diverted attention from critical topics like hyperandrogynism and intersexuality, which involve cases where individuals may have biological traits that don’t align with traditional definitions of male or female. Unfortunately, this has only further muddied the already sensitive discussions on gender and sports.

Through all this, Khelif has consistently identified as a woman, and the IOC recognizes her as such, allowing her to compete. Despite the ongoing conversation and public scrutiny, her participation remains valid under the current rules.