Olympic boxer Imane Khelif denounces bullying over gender misunderstandings

Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Kheilf called for an end to bullying of athletes after her participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Unsubstantiated claims about her gender have sparked outrage, particularly among far-right figures.

“I am sending a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, not to bully any athlete, because this has consequences, huge consequences,” Khelif told SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press, in Arabic. “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And that’s why I ask them to stop bullying.”

Kheilf was in the news last week after her fight against Italian boxer Angela Carini, who stopped the Olympic match after 46 seconds. She later told reporters that she had stopped the match because of severe pain in her nose.

Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the match on Wednesday and knelt on her knees, crying. This led conservative pundits, media figures and lawmakers to spread conspiracy theories about Kheilf’s gender, which in turn led to broader discussions about transgender athletes in competitive sports.

Neither Khelif nor Lin, 28, who won her bout against Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan on Friday, identify as transgender. Both athletes competed in the women’s category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with little to no controversy.

Kheilf, 25, spoke about the pressure and difficulties of facing criticism while fighting far from home and family, AP reported.

“I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope they are not too deeply affected,” she said, according to AP. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will end in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.”

Criticism of Kheilf and another Olympic boxer, Lin Yu-Ting, was initially fueled by claims by the International Boxing Federation (which has been permanently banned from the Olympics) that both Kheilf and Lin failed non-specific eligibility tests at last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday that all athletes taking part in the boxing tournament at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris will adhere to the competition’s eligibility and participation regulations.

“As in previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes will be based on their passports,” the organization said.

Khelif thanked the IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, for their support against the International Boxing Federation’s claims.

“I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth,” she told SNTV.

While Khelif acknowledges that she is involved in an international conversation about gender in sport, she says she has tried to stay out of the discussion somewhat.

“Honestly, I don’t follow social media,” she said, according to The AP. “There is a mental health team that doesn’t allow us to follow social media, especially during the Olympics, whether I’m another athlete. I’m here to compete and get a good result.”

Khelif fought against Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori on Saturday and defeated her in a match that advanced her to the semifinals of the Olympic Games. She is expected to fight again on Tuesday in the semifinals of the women’s 66-kilogram against Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand. If Khelif wins, she will fight for a gold medal on Friday.

Khelif has received a lot of support in her fights, she noted, and her win over Hamori this week appeared to bring some relief to the Algerian fighter, AP reported.

“I couldn’t control my nerves,” Khelif said in the interview. “Because after the media frenzy and after the victory, there was a mix of joy and at the same time I was very moved, because honestly, it wasn’t easy to go through. It was something that hurts human dignity.”

Carini apologized last week for her behavior after the match, saying she was not making a political statement by leaving the match and that she regretted not shaking Khelif’s hand.