Who Is Imane Khelif? ‘Biological Male’ Algerian Boxer Sparks Gender Row After 46-Second Win In Paris 2024 Olympics

Imane Khelif, the 25-year-old Algerian Boxer, has grabbed the spotlight after competing and winning in the women's Boxing 66 KG category in the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics. The Algerian athlete failing the gender test last year during the World Championships and competing in the Olympics even after that has sparked a row among the fans or netizens.

It had emerged last year that the 25-year-old had elevated levels of Testosterone. Khalef's opponent Angela Carini copped a punch within 30 seconds of the start of the game in the Paris Olympics and stepped away to get her head gear fixed. Although the Italian boxer returned, it wasn't long before she stepped back and stopped the fight altogether. Later, she broke into tears.

Carini's coach had revealed the below, as quoted by Sky Sports:

"She felt pain in her nose and said to me 'I don't want to fight anymore."

On the flip side, Algeria's Olympic committee hit back the baseless attacks on Khelif, claiming that such accusations could distract her from her goal.

"COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets. Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics. The COA has taken all necessary measures to protect our champion."

Imane Khelif's father reportedly did not allow her from practising boxing:

As far as the background of Khelif is concerned, she was born on May 2nd, 1999 in Tiaret, Algeria. She first emerged in a professional Boxing tournament in 2018 in the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, but was eliminated from the opening round.

Khelif made it to the quarterfinals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and became the first Algerian the following year to seal a spot in the final of IBA Women's World Boxing Championships. The youngster appealed made an appeal to the court after facing disqualification from the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships as it emerged that they had XY Chromosomes.

Nevertheless, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had used different parameters to the International Boxing Association (IBA), thereby clearing Khelif to compete in Paris.