Olympic Games are never devoid of controversies and they can range from cheating via altering the equipment to doping allegations to the biases of the judges.
The 2024 Paris Olympics is not different from the other ones and amid the controversies related to food and pollution in the Seine river, a new controversy has emerged involving the sexuality of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.
The 25-year-old boxer from Algeria became the headlines when Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned the 66kg category bout against the former in 46 seconds.
What exactly happened in Angela Carini v Imane Khelif?
Usually, a boxing round lasts three minutes and there are three rounds in each but the Algerian boxer landed two strong punches, knocking Carini out in just 46 seconds.
In the first punch, Khelif dislodged Carini’s chinstrap, and the second punch smashed at her chin and bloodied her shorts. A visibly distraught Carini went to her side and raised her hand to abandon the bout.
When asked about her decision, Carini said,” I have a big pain in my nose and I said, ‘Stop’. It’s better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit. I have never felt a punch like this.”
After the decision to award Khelif the win, Carini collapsed on her knees and sobbed in the middle of the ring after the defeat and did not shake hands with Khelif.
The social media has been abuzz since the incident with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling the fight an uneven contest given claims of Khelif being a biological male.
“I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions … from my point of view it was not an even contest,” said Meloni.
What is the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif?
Imane Khelif is one of the two boxers competing in the boxing competition of the 2024 Paris Olympics despite failing the gender test last year conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) at the 2023 Boxing World Championships in New Delhi.
The Algerian boxer was disqualified from the gold medal match due high level of testosterone in her system.
IBA President Umer Kremlev had told Russian news agency TASS that XY chromosomes were found in both boxers during a DNA test and hence were disqualified from the tournament.
Imane Khelif challenged the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but later withdrew it during the process, making their decision legally binding.
But at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IBA is not conducting the boxing event due to a ban by the International Olympic Committee. IBA was handed over the ban due to corruption issues and alleged involvement in the Russia and Ukraine war.
Clarifying IOC’s stand on the same, Mark Adams who is IOC spokesperson said, “Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it’s stated in there that they are female.”