The father of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has spoken out regarding the controversy surrounding his daughter’s participation in the Olympic Games.
Khelif became the focus of intense online speculation following her 46-second victory over Italy’s Angela Carini. This uproar stemmed from a prior decision by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which claimed that Imane had not passed an unspecified ‘gender eligibility test’.
The IBA – which recently (August 5) insisted that Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting ‘prove that they were born women’ – had its status as the official governing body for boxing suspended in 2019 due to allegations of corruption.
These concerns included issues related to IBA president Umar Kremlev, who has connections to Vladimir Putin, and the association’s primary sponsor, Russian majority state-owned gas company Gazprom.
Despite these concerns, the controversy surrounding Imane’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics has continued to intensify online.
Now, her father has commented on the situation.
He told the Daily Mail: “Imane is a little girl that has loved sport since she was six years old, she used to play football.
“These critics and rumours aim to destabilise Imane, they don’t want her to be the champion of the world.
“I tell her prove them wrong in the ring and I hope that she will honor Algeria and Arabic countries and win the gold medal. She is our role model, and we want to be like her and honor Algeria and Tiaret.”
In a poignant moment, Imane’s father even felt the need to present proof that she was born a woman. This included an official document showing Imane listed as a girl at birth.
Algeria’s Olympic Committee has condemned the controversy as a series of ‘malicious and unethical attacks directed against our distinguished athlete, Imane Khelif, by certain foreign media’.
Imane has also addressed the ongoing harassment on social media, telling SNTV on August 4: “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 effects, 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.”
Angela Carini, Imane’s opponent, has also expressed her dismay at the controversy that has ensued since their bout. She said: “All this controversy makes me sad. I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”
Imane remains in contention and is assured of a spot on the podium, though which medal she will take home is yet to be determined.