The 2024 Paris Olympics has sparked another controversy, this time in boxing. The International Olympic Committee confirmed Imane Khelif of Algeria can fight in Paris despite failing gender eligibility tests and being disqualified at last year’s world championship. A female boxing legend has defended Khelif, stressing her right to compete and praising her skill and dedication. 

Khelif made waves internationally by winning a silver medal in the Light Welterweight division at the 2022 World Championships in Istanbul. She became the first African woman to win a lightweight medal there. She also claimed gold at the 2022 African Championships in Maputo and the Mediterranean Games in Oran, dominating her weight class.

Champion stands by Algerian boxer despite gender eligibility concerns

Recently, Amy Broadhurst, World Champion 2022, 5X European Champion, European bronze medalist, and 19X Irish champion, defended Imane Khelif. She posted on X, “Please 🙏 the hate has been ridiculous 😔.” She added, “Have a lot of people texting me over Imane Khelif. Personally I don’t think she has done anything to ‘cheat’. I think it’s the way she was born & that’s out of her control. The fact that she has been beaten by 9 females before says it all.” Born on May 2, 1999, in Tiarte, Algeria, Khelif grew up in a rural village. Her father initially disapproved of her career and prevented her from following her passion, but that didn’t stop her.

Khelif began her professional boxing career in 2018 and has maintained a perfect record with 1 win and 0 losses. Before turning pro, she earned 36 wins and 9 losses. In February 2024, Broadhurst won gold at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the 63 kg category, defeating Russian boxer Nataliya Sychugova. She also qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo at the African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Dakar, Senegal. Khelif, despite ongoing gender concerns, fought Italian boxer Angela Carini in the 66 kg category on August 1st. Carini’s match ended in just 46 seconds. Carini landed a few quick punches before quitting. She didn’t shake Khelif’s hand when the referee raised it and cried in the ring, sinking to her knees.

Carini said, “I couldn’t carry on. I have a big pain in my nose and I said, ‘Stop’. It’s better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping from the first hit.” This led to a broader debate about Khelif’s eligibility. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni even discussed the issue with IOC President Thomas Bach in Paris. Khelif’s participation, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, has been scrutinized. Both were disqualified from last year’s World Championships for not meeting eligibility criteria. Lin lost her third-place ranking after a failed gender eligibility test. Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for a failed testosterone level test.

The IOC didn’t detail the reasons at the time. Featherweight Lin will fight Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova on August 2. Neither boxer has commented on the speculation about their participation. The Algerian Olympic Committee condemned the attacks on Khelif. The IOC has supported Khelif’s right to compete. Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian Olympic Committee, said, “Despite our requests to have certainties and guarantees, both for the safety of our athlete and for the regularity of the competition, they’ve confirmed that (Khelif) is within these parameters.” The Olympic committee added, “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”

The Olympic committee also clarified that athletes’ gender and age are determined by their passports. They addressed misleading reports about two female athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics. These athletes have competed in the women’s category at international boxing events, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The committee stated that the athletes were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA, disqualified without due process toward the end of the 2023 World Championships. Amidst this backdrop, Imane Khelif’s 2022 defeat resurfaces, keeping the debate about her eligibility in the spotlight.

Imane Khelif’s 2022 defeat resurfaces amidst the gender controversy

Footage has surfaced of British fighter Amy Broadhurst beating Algerian Imane Khelif in the 2022 Women’s World Championship Final as the Paris Olympics boxing controversy continues. Khelif won her first bout today when Italian Angela Carini abandoned the fight after 46 seconds. Broadhurst, who defeated Khelif two years ago, posted a clip of the second round on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “Thoughts after this?” Broadhurst was selected to box for Team GB in an Olympics qualifier earlier this year but lost and didn’t make the team. After Carini quit, Broadhurst shared her victory video.

Carini, suffering a suspected broken nose, was stopped after 46 seconds against Khelif. She told ANSA News Agency, “I went into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough.” Khelif said, “I’m here for the gold – I fight everybody” after the win. She added that she was focused on her goal. The IOC assured that all Paris Olympics boxers meet regulations, and the IBA said decisions were made after “meticulous reviews.” Imane Khelif is set to face Hungary’s Luca Anna Hamori in the 66kg quarterfinals this Saturday — (August 3). Hamori said, “I’m not scared” about the match. With the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding Khelif, will this impact her future in boxing or affect her performance at the Paris Olympics?