Algerian boxer Imane Khelif eyes gold, says "I am a female and will remain a female"

Algerian welterweight boxer Imane Khelif secured an Olympic medal by defeating Hungarian opponent Anna Luca Hamori in a unanimous decision on Saturday.

This victory guarantees Khelif at least a bronze medal, with her fans providing enthusiastic support throughout the match.

The win comes amid controversy over the participation of Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting in the Olympics, due to questions about their gender identity. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach addressed these concerns, condemning them as "totally unacceptable."

In a post-match interview, Khelif dedicated her victory to her global supporters and expressed pride in her Algerian heritage, exclaiming, "Long live Algeria!" Draped in an Algerian flag and visibly emotional, she affirmed, "I want to tell the entire world that I am a female, and I will remain a female."

Throughout the fight, Khelif's supporters chanted her name and waved Algerian flags. The judges scored all three rounds in her favor, with one judge even awarding a 10-8 score in the second round.

Despite earlier questioning Khelif's gender, Hamori demonstrated sportsmanship by exchanging pleasantries with her post-fight.

Thomas Bach strongly defended the inclusion of Khelif and Yu-ting, stating, "We have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women."

The controversy originated from a previous disqualification of both athletes from a global event last year due to gender eligibility issues raised by the International Boxing Association. They had allegedly failed gender tests, being accused of having male chromosomes, but were cleared by the IOC to compete in the women's 66-kilogram and 57-kilogram categories at the Paris Games.

The debate was further intensified when Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her match against Khelif just 46 seconds in, resulting in an automatic win for Khelif. Carini left the ring in tears, refusing to shake hands.

Bach emphasized that there was "never any doubt" about the eligibility of Khelif and Yu-ting to compete as women, condemning the backlash as "hate speech" and highlighting the importance of respecting the athletes' identities. He criticized attempts to redefine who qualifies as a woman as being driven by intolerance.