Algerian boxer Imane Khelif becomes target of Olympics gender row
Al Jazeera
The fighter under scrutiny won her opening bout when opponent Angela Carini from Italy quits after 46 seconds.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s 46-second victory at the Paris Olympics has ignited a heated debate over gender eligibility rules with global public figures and sporting bodies weighing in.
Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned the match against Khelif on Thursday, walking away from the contest to her corner – an extremely rare scene in Olympic boxing.
Carini did not shake Khelif’s hand after the referee formally raised it. She cried in the ring, sinking to her knees. Minutes later, still-tearful, Carini said she quit because of the pain from opening punches.
“I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough’ because I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to. I couldn’t finish the match,” Carini said.
Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test. Her participation in the Paris Olympics has become a divisive issue.
