We’re almost halfway through the Paris 2024 Olympics and the event has already been riddled with scandals.
One of the most prominent scandals that broke out today (August 2) is in regards to the Algerian boxer’s gender following her opponent’s withdrawal from their match as the opponent alleged that the Algerian boxer is biologically male and that their match was unfair.
According to a post by Front Page, Italian boxer, 25-year-old Angela Carini; abandoned her match with Algerian boxer, 25-year-old Imane Khelif, 46 seconds in after taking 2 powerful punches from Khelif, which ended up dislodging her helmet.
Carini then threw down her helmet, fell to her knees in the ring and started crying. Before stopping the match, she was also heard telling her side, “Non e giusto”, which translates to “It’s not fair”.
“It’s not fair” refers to a belief that Khelif is transgender and that she is biologically male, making the match unfair.
Khelif was ultimately crowned the winner of the match.
Where did this belief come from?
Last year, the International Boxing Association (IBA) took steps to disqualify Khelif and Taiwanese boxer, Lin Yu Ting, from their wins at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships after “they both failed to meet eligibility rules” following an alleged test conducted by an independent laboratory.
However, according to a recently released statement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), they believe that “these two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.”
Is she really biologically male?
Many have since taken to social media to point out that Khelif is, in fact, NOT transgender and is biologically FEMALE.
Times Now clarified that Khelif was born with a difference in sex development (DSD) condition that shows testosterone levels that may appear similar in males.
Netizens have also shared photos from Khelif’s childhood to show her growing up as a girl.
The IOC steps in.
The revised International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines require DSD athletes to maintain testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for 24 months to compete in any female category.
“All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) (please find all applicable rules here),”
“As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.”
The OIC has also since condemned the IBA for causing the belief that the 2 athletes are not biologically female, which in turn led to attacks being pointed their way.
“The current aggression against these 2 athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competitions for many years. Such an approach is contrary to good governance,”
“Eligibility rules should not be changed during ongoing competitions, and any rule change must follow appropriate processes and should be based on scientific evidence,” they added.
With all that has been said, we genuinely hope that the cyberbullying against Imane Khelif will be put to a stop.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: Pearly & Thinaah Win Against South Korea to Reach the Semi-Finals of the 2024 Olympics!
