Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif Slams Bullying Amid Gender Misconception

Imane Khelif, an Olympic boxer from Algeria, broke her silence this weekend, saying that people around the world need to stop bullying the athletes who are participating.

Many people have attacked Khelif, the Olympic committee and Algeria, saying that she’s not actually a woman. All of this comes after unsubstantiated claims about Kheilf’s gender were brought to light, with many people saying she shouldn’t be allowed to participate because she was born a man. 

The problem is, that’s not true.

As Khelif said to a local Arabic media outlet:

“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effectives, massive effects. It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”

The controversy began last week when the boxer Khelif was facing, Italian Angela Carini, stopped their match only 46 seconds after it began. She told reporters afterward that she threw in the towel because she had never felt pain like she did during the fight after being hit in the nose.

Carini wouldn’t shake Khelif’s hand after the match, instead dropping to her knees and crying. 

That caused many people to start questioning Khelif’s gender, and whether she was actually transgender. 

All of this, though, stems from a claim made by the International Boxing Association — which the Olympics has permanently banned — that Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-Ting, failed an eligibility test during the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year. The IBA didn’t release what the test was about, though.

During the 2020 Olympic Games that were held in Tokyo, both Khelif and Lin participated with no issues in the women’s category.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that every athlete who is participating in the games in Paris are in full compliance with the entry and eligibility regulations the organization has in place. 

As it said in a statement:

“As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes based on their passport.”

Khelif was thankful that the IOC and President Thomas Bach backed her against the claims that the International Boxing Association had made against her. As she said in the interview:

“I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice, and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth.”

Despite the fact that it’s nearly impossible for her to do so, Khelif added that she’s tried to remain as removed from the discussion as possible. She said:

“Honestly, I don’t follow social media. There is a mental health team that doesn’t let us follow social media, especially in the Olympic Games, whether me or other athletes. I’m here to compete and get a good result.”

Khelif advanced to the semifinals of the Olympic women’s boxing semifinal after defeating Anna Luca Hamori from Hungary on Saturday.