Alright, the 2024 Paris Olympics has produced yet another controversy! This time, it’s in the boxing department, as the International Olympic Committee has confirmed Imane Khelif of Algeria will be allowed to fight in Paris. But you must be thinking, why did she need the IOC to allow her? You see, the thing is, the 25-year-old Olympian failed the gender eligibility tests and was disqualified during the world championship last year!

Khelif was reportedly born on May 2, 1999 in Tiarte, Algeria, and grew up in a rural village. Interestingly, her father never approved of her career, preventing her from pursuing her passion. But only for so long! 

The amateur boxer started her professional career in 2018. And, since then, she’s maintained a perfect record—1 win, 0 losses. Before going pro, she racked up 36 wins and 9 losses. 

On the international scene, Khelif has really created ripples. At the 2022 World Championships in Istanbul, she snagged a silver medal in the Light Welterweight division, making history as the first African woman to win a lightweight medal there. She also took home gold at both the 2022 African Championships in Maputo and the Mediterranean Games in Oran, dominating in her weight class. 

She also won the 2023 African Olympic qualification tournament, earning a spot in Paris.

The Algerian also happens to be the UNICEF Ambassador and has remained candid about her personal struggles. “I started with nothing and now I have everything. My dream is to win a gold medal. If I win, mothers and fathers can see how far their children can go. I particularly want to inspire girls and children who are disadvantaged in Algeria,” she said as per UNICEF.

Most recently, in February 2024, she won gold at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the 63 kg category, beating Russian boxer Nataliya Sychugova. Plus, she qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo at the African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Dakar, Senegal. 

Amid the string of concerns regarding the Algerian boxer’s gender, Khelif is set to face off against Italian boxer Angela Carini in the 66 kg category on Thursday. But even then controversies haven’t left her side. 

Imane Khelif caught in a gender storm again!

The 25-year-old boxer’s gender has been a point of contention for a long time. The issues emerged last year when Khelif was disqualified ahead of her gold medal bout at the World Championships in New Delhi.

Later, Umar Kremlev, the now-suspended International Boxing Association’s (IBA) president, had alleged that DNA tests revealed Khelif and another boxer, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting (also set to fight in Paris), “had XY chromosomes”. The IBA ran the world championships with some pretty strict rules, including limits on testosterone levels for female athletes. Unfortunately for Imane Khelif, her testosterone levels were reportedly higher than the allowed limits, which led to her being kicked out of the event. 

The boxer has even claimed that her disqualification was part of a bigger plot against Algerian athletes, accusing officials of targeting her and denying her a shot at the gold medal.

Adding to the drama, the IBA was later banned from organizing Olympic boxing events due to some governance issues and corruption allegations. So, for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Khelif will be competing under the International Olympic Committee’s rules. Talking about the two boxers’ inclusion, IOC spokesman Mark Adams, at a press conference, said, “Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules.”

“They are women in their passports and it’s stated that this is the case, that they are female. These athletes have competed many times before for many years. They haven’t just suddenly arrived,” the exective further said.

Even though the IOC’s guidelines are more lenient and allow Khelif to compete, there are still some people questioning the decision. It remains to be seen how the matter is handled moving forward.