Imane Khelif’s recent match against Italy’s Angela Carini created an outrage on social media as Carini withdrew 46 seconds into the match following a heavy punch from Khelif. Clearly, in a distressed state, Carini turned to her team and decided not to continue. She told reporters, “I have never been hit so hard in my career.” This raised discussions and several questions over Khelif’s involvement in the competition in light of her past disqualification in the gender eligibility test.
Imane Khelif News: Full of Controversy Comeback
After being eliminated from the 2023 World Championships due to a failure in the gender eligibility test, Khelif shook the boxing fraternity. Along with Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, Khelif wasn’t cleared to fight in the event—causing an uproar about how these tests were conducted and if they were truly transparent. Both boxers are set to fight in the Paris 2024 Olympics under the global limelight.
Imane Khelif 2024 Olympics: Road to Paris
Looking forward to seeing Khelif in action at the 2024 Olympics, she will be fighting on Saturday, 3 August, at 4:22 PM BST. Following results against Carini, Khelif has been set as a medal prospect.
Imane Khelif Gender Eligibility Test
The big issue of contention has been the gender eligibility test that saw Khelif miss the 2023 World Championships. Well, IBA did not state reasons for the failure of the test, only that neither Khelif nor Lin Yu-ting took testosterone tests. Both boxers continued to fight while the IOC gave a nod for the boxers to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Imane Khelif Family Background
The 25-year-old Imane Khelif, hailing from Tiaret, Algeria, is the current UNICEF ambassador. Despite her father’s distaste in her pursuit of boxing, she wanted to inspire others.
Imane Khelif Religion
Being a practicing Muslim, Imane Khelif strives to manage her time between observing her religion and the many sport-related activities.
Imane Khelif Next Fight: What’s Ahead?
The next fight for Khelif is on Saturday, 3 August. Her opponent remains unknown, but a win will assure her of the bronze medal in the 66kg category. This assures her that she will contest for the silver or gold medal. Fans and sports lovers have been looking for this performance in the next bout.
Imane Khelif Schedule and Results
Leading into the 2024 Olympics, Khelif’s schedule has been dense, emphasising increasing strength, agility, and technical standing.
Khelif debuted as a professional in boxing in the 2018 World Championships, finishing 17th. At the 2019 edition of the event, she finished 19th. Khelif then participated in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Ireland’s Kellie Harrington. After losing to Amy Broadhurst, Khelif took second place at the Women’s World Boxing Championships. In the following years, she won gold medals in the 2022 African Championships, the Mediterranean Games, and the 2023 Arab Games.
Current and former female boxing champions Claressa Shields and Ebanie Bridges have openly criticised the IOC ruling. In response, the COA came in to support Imane Khelif, condemning the reports made against her.
FAQ
Where is Iman Khelif from?
Iman Khelif is from Tiaret, Algeria.
Does Iman Khelif have an xy chromosome?
There has been no proof that Khelif had XY chromosomes or high levels of testosterone. The IOC does not test for gender and oversees the boxing competition in Paris.
