"My child is a girl,” Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif’s father says
Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer, has become the centre of a gender controversy following her victory over Italian boxer Angela Carini at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 25-year-old light welterweight boxer showcased her prowess during the match on August 1, exchanging a few swift punches with Carini before landing a decisive blow that forced the Italian to drop out of her Olympic debut in tears. However, it wasn’t Khelif’s swift victory that made the headlines; rather, it was the questions surrounding her gender.
Khelif's father, Omar Khelif, has publicly defended his daughter amid the scrutiny. "My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She's a strong girl. I raised her to be hard-working and brave. She has a strong will to work and to train. The Italian opponent she faced was unable to defeat my daughter. Because my daughter was stronger and she was softer,” Omar Khelif is quoted by the AFP.
Khelif’s 5’11” frame towered over Carini’s 5’7” stature, and the bout, which lasted approximately 46 seconds, raised concerns about the Algerian's eligibility to fight at the Olympics. These concerns were amplified by Khelif's previous disqualification from the women’s world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests.
In the aftermath of the match, Carini refused the customary handshake after Khelif was declared the winner. She has since apologised, stating, "It wasn't something I intended to do… Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke." Carini expressed her sadness over the controversy, telling the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, "All this controversy makes me sad."
