‘A matter of dignity’: Controversial boxer guaranteed medal
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has secured herself an Olympic medal after winning a quarterfinal match overnight.
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Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who has been at the centre of a gender storm at the Olympics, has been guaranteed a medal in Paris after winning her quarterfinal match in the early hours on Sunday morning (AEST).
Khelif claimed victory with a unanimous decision from the judges over Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori.
“This is a matter of dignity and honour for every woman or female,” the 25-year-old Khelif said.
“The entire Arab people have known me for years. For years I have been boxing in international federation competitions, they (International Boxing Association) were unfair with me. But I have God.”
Khelif made headlines across the globe after Italy’s Angela Carini abandoned their round of 16 bout after just 46 seconds.
She failed to meet the IBA’s gender eligibility criteria last year, however, has been allowed to compete in the Olympics.
Carini fell to the ground and sobbed in the ring after abandoning the fight before refusing to shake hands with Khelif.
In a post-match interview, she said it was the physical pain of the punch that caused her to abandon the fight.
However, it was Khelif this time who was in tears during the quarterfinal, breaking down after her win against Hamori after realising the win had secured her a medal.
Khelif claimed the win after being warned twice by the referee in the first round, once for punching with the inside of her glove and then for hitting her opponent to the back of the head.
But Khelif took complete control in the second round and despite being docked a point for holding in the final round – after twice wrestling Hamori to the ground – cruised home.
Despite expressing her disappointment at Khelif’s inclusion in the competition and sharing an offensive image on social media in the lead-up to the fight, Hamori shared a respectful moment with her rival after the bout.
She now heads to the semi-finals in the 66kg category and will fight for gold if she’s victorious against Janjaem Suwannapheng from Thailand.
Khelif’s father Omar also spoke out on Saturday, telling AFP from their Algerian village: “My child is a girl.” “She was raised as a girl,” Omar said. “She is a strong girl – I raised her to work and be brave.”
Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, who failed gender eligibility tests last year, can also guarantee herself at least a bronze medal on Sunday when she faces Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva in the quarter-finals of the women’s 57kg.
In a strongly worded statement from the IOC this week, the committee denounced “abuse” levelled at both boxers.
“Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination,” the statement released on Friday morning AEST said.
“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.
“The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving.”
The boxers were barred last year after IBA president Umar Kremlev said DNA tests had “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded”.
For males, XY is the combination of chromosomes while XX is the combination in females.
However, the IBA didn’t want to go into more detail about how these two athletes were suddenly disqualified — citing privacy reasons.
They did say, however, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a “separate and recognised test” where they were found to have “competitive advantages” over other female competitors.
Both Khelif and Yu-ting have always competed in female events and lived as women their entire lives.
During the 1996 Atlanta Games, 3,387 female athletes were analysed with a similar test with eight of the athletes – or 1 in 423 – returning XY results.
Originally published as ‘A matter of dignity’: Controversial boxer guaranteed medal
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