Image source, Reuters
- Author, Editorial Team
- Role, BBC News Mundo
The boxing match between Algerian Imane Khelif and Italian Angela Carini has generated one of the most controversial moments of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Khelif, 25, qualified this Thursday for the quarter-finals of the Games in the women’s 66 kg category after Carini (25) abandoned the ring 46 seconds into the match.
The Italian was hit in the face, where she wore the protective mask, just 30 seconds into the fight. Immediately after receiving it, Carini went to her corner to seek support from her coach. And once the fight briefly resumed, she returned to her corner and requested to withdraw.
Algerian Khelif is, along with Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting, one of two boxers who have been subjected to great scrutiny to compete in women’s boxing in Paris.
This is not her first appearance at the Olympics, as they competed in Tokyo 2020, where they were defeated.
However, since last year, a controversy regarding her gender has sparked which now revives with her participation in the Paris Olympics.
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Mark Adams, stated that the controversy stems from “well-known rumors.”
“This must be absolutely clear to everyone, this is not a transgender issue. I know they know, but I think there have been some incorrect reports on this. And I think it is very, very important to say that this is not a transgender issue,” Adams emphasized.
Image source, Getty Images
The 2023 Disqualification
Much of the controversy that arose following Khelif and Lin’s participation in Paris 2024 stemmed from a disqualification they faced last year at the Women’s World Championships in India.
The International Boxing Association (IBA), which has not been recognized by the IOC since 2019, withdrew them from the competition after conducting tests that determined they “did not meet the eligibility criteria.”
The IBA did not publicly disclose what the results of the tests were.
The IOC – which stopped recognizing the association led by Russian Umar Kremlev due to corruption and mismanagement concerns – stated that it was due to “high levels of testosterone”.
Image source, Getty Images
However, subsequent comments from the IBA president implied that Khelif and Lin did not possess the XX chromosomes of biological females, but XY of males.
After Thursday’s fight, the IBA issued a statement saying that the boxers “did not undergo a testosterone test, but an independent and recognized test, the details of which are confidential.”
“This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the necessary eligibility criteria and that they had competitive advantages over other competitors,” the organization added.
Khelif had already participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she was eliminated in the first round.
And on Monday, when the controversy over the issue began to resurface, the IOC said in a statement: “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics meet the eligibility and registration standards of the competition, as well as all applicable medical regulations.”
Image source, Reuters
The situation in general has led to constant criticism of the boxers, including those aimed at Khelif on Thursday, accusing her of not being a woman by birth or of having changed her identity to compete as a woman.
But in Algeria, a Muslim country, the LGBTIQ+ community is largely repressed. Changing identity is not allowed, and homosexuality is socially punished. Authorities even have the authority to carry out corporal punishments.
“This involves real people, and we’re talking about the lives of real people here. They have competed and continue to compete in women’s competition. They have lost and won against other women over the years,” emphasized spokesperson Mark Adams.
“I felt a strong pain in my nose”
Italian Carini felt extremely affected after Thursday’s fight. She explained that she decided to abandon the match to protect her integrity, as she had never received a hit like that.
“I was unable to finish the match, I felt a strong pain in my nose,” Carini told BBC Sport.
“I hope my nation does not take it badly; I hope my father does not take it badly, but I stopped, I said enough for me… It could have been the match of my life, but at that moment I also had to preserve my life,” she continued.
“I wasn’t afraid; I don’t fear the ring. I don’t fear taking hits. But there is an end to everything, and this time I put an end to this fight, because I couldn’t [continue].”
Regarding Khelif, Carini told reporters: “I wish her to continue until the end and to be happy. I am a person who does not judge anyone. I am not here to judge.”
Image source, EPA
Khelif, who has lost nine times out of 50 fights throughout her career, told BBC Sport: “I am here for the gold: I fight against everyone.”
Lin Yu-ting, who was stripped of the bronze medal at last year’s World Championships, fights this Friday. Khelif will fight on Saturday against Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori.
“My mentality is to never give up, no matter what happens. [Carini’s withdrawal] is her choice. I can promise that I will fight until the end. We will see what happens. I don’t know what the truth is. I don’t care. I just want to win.
For Steve Bunce, BBC boxing analyst, this situation raises further questions about boxing in general: “I think it has harmed Olympic boxing at a crucial time when its future is still being debated. It’s an absolute disaster.
“What’s interesting is that in the lead-up to this fight, some of her former rivals, good boxers, world and European champions, have said that [Khelif] is not a cheat,” noted Bunce.
“She is not a devastating boxer. I feel very sorry for Carini, but I also feel a bit sorry for Khelif; she is stuck in the middle of something absolutely devastating that is still not over.”
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