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Algerian boxer, who defeated Italian athlete at Paris Olympics, accused of being biological male
Sports
 

Algerian boxer, who defeated Italian athlete at Paris Olympics, accused of being biological male

Netizens came to her defense and shared childhood photos of the athlete.
Algerian boxer, who defeated Italian athlete at Paris Olympics, accused of being biological male

Web Desk

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2 Aug 2024

Italian athlete Angela Carini refused to continue her bout against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif just 46 seconds into the first round of the women’s boxing event at the Paris Olympics. This sparked accusations against Khelif that she might be a biological male, a claim that has been denied by the Olympic Committee.

Carini and Khelif were competing in the women’s 66 kg boxing category. The match was cut short after Khelif threw two powerful punches, leading Carini to stop the fight.

The Italian boxer later explained that a punch to her nose was unbearable, leading her to believe it was broken. Overcome with pain, she removed her headgear, fell to her knees in the ring, and began to cry.

Speaking to the media after the fight, Carini expressed her disappointment, stating that she had hoped to honour her father by winning, but the pain from the punches was too intense, unlike anything she had ever experienced. 

The boxer added that she felt dignified in her decision to quit, prioritising her health and well-being.

Carini also refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the defeat was announced. While she did not question her Algerian opponent's biological gender, she said, "It’s not up to me to judge” whether Khelif should have been allowed to participate. “I did my job."

Imane Khelif, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, had been expelled from the Women’s World Championship last year after not undertaking gender eligibility tests.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed both athletes to compete in the Paris Olympics.

Elevated levels of male hormones in women is a condition that can result from various health issues and can affect women's features and muscle mass.

Meanwhile, several prominent public figures, including Elon Musk, JK Rowling, and the Italian Prime Minister, criticised the participation of female athletes with male characteristics in women’s sports.

As criticism against Khelif mounted, many netizens came to her defense and shared childhood photos in which she appeared as a typical young girl.

Her supporters argued that these accusations were both discriminatory and racist and drew parallels to similar controversies faced by former American tennis player Serena Williams and South African athlete Caster Semenya when they defeated their opponents.

Semenya had won her discrimination case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after being banned from competing in sports by World Athletics regulations due to accusations of being a biological male.

Human Rights Watch also condemned the practice of subjecting women athletes to gender eligibility tests, stating that it violates bodily integrity and amounts to “cruel and degrading treatment.”

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