2024-08-02 11:29:40
Paris. The Olympic games in Paris 2024, which attracted reactions with the controversial opening ceremony, are this time under the influence of a completely different scandal. Competing in the 66kg category in the boxing championship, Italian boxer Angela Carini faced Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in the last 16, with Carini forced to withdraw from the ring after 46 seconds after a blow. his hostage. Carini, who could not control his tears after the match, did not shake the hand of his opponent Khelif. The Italian athlete Carini, who fell to the ground and cried in the ring after receiving the punch, could not hold back his tears in his statement after the match. Italian Boxer: “I’ve never been kicked in my life. “Now the decision is up to the IOC.” he said.
Khelif was disqualified from the World Boxing Championships last year after failing to pass gender conformity tests. However, it was deemed appropriate for the Algerian boxer to compete in the Paris Olympics organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Khelif and national boxer Busenaz Sürmeneli will face each other in the semi-finals if they win their quarter-final bouts.
“I walk out with my head held high and my heart broken.”
Italian boxer Angela Carini said after the fight: “For me, this is not a victory. For me, when you climb those ropes, you are already a hero, you are already a winner. Whatever happens, it’s okay, it’s good like that. I didn’t lose tonight. I just did my job as a fighter. I got into the ring and fought. I failed. I walk out with my head held high and my heart broken. I am a mature woman. It is the ring of my life. I have always been very instinctive. And when I feel like something isn’t right, that’s not giving up. It means that the maturity is going to stop. “It’s about having the maturity to say, ‘Okay, that’s enough,'” he said.
Reactions grow like an avalanche
After what happened, it is discussed that Khelif should not have competed in the women’s division. As Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships on the grounds that she failed the gender appropriateness test, it led to discussion at the international level about the Algerian athlete competing in the Olympics. Currently, it is being debated whether Khelif, whose testosterone level is high, should participate in the Olympics.
Strong reaction from Italian Prime Minister Meloni
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who arrived in Paris, also responded to what happened. Meloni “I’m sorry. When I spoke to Carini yesterday, he told me, “I will fight.” This made me very happy. Dedication, mindset and character are also really important in these types of things. However, it is also important to be able to compete on equal terms. “And from my perspective, it wasn’t a fair game.”
“It is true that the race did not seem equal at the beginning, considering the level of testosterone in the blood of the Algerian athlete,” said the Prime Minister. “There were also security issues and I think we have to be careful as well,” he said.
Reaction from Elon Musk
Following these developments, Elon Musk, the owner of X/Twitter, was among the users who responded on social media. Musk replied “Absolutely”, citing the post “Men don’t belong in women’s sports #IStandWithAngelaCarini Let’s make this a trend”.
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