“That girl has loved sports since she was 6 years old” Father of Imane Khalif breaks silence amid Olympics gender row

The father of Algerian boxer Imane Khelife says the attacks being hurled against his daughter are “immoral”.

 

Khelife made headlines around the world after her female opponent Angela Carini quit just 46 seconds into their fight at the Olympic Games.

 

 

Khelife, 25, was one of two athletes thrown out of last year’s world championships in New Delhi after failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.

 

Now her father, Amar Khelife, has slammed the critics and said the controversy is part of “a ploy” to stop his daughter from winning a medal at the Olympics.

 

Speaking on Friday, August 2, he said: “The attacks against her are immoral, it is not fair.

 

“Imane is a little girl that has loved sports since she was six years old, she used to play football.

 

“These critics and rumours aim to destabilize Imane, they don’t want her to be the champion of the world. 

 

“I tell her prove them wrong in the ring and I hope that she will honour Algeria and Arabic countries and win the gold medal. 

 

“She is our role model, and we want to be like her and honour Algeria and Tiaret.”

 

He went on to show an official document dated May 2, 1999, which states that Khelife Imane was born a female. 

 

Meanwhile, Algeria reacted to a photo of Angela Carini crying after her bout with Khelife.

 

“Cry more,” Algeria FC wrote on X.

 

 

Khelife’s father’s comments came as a human rights chief condemned Olympics boxing at Paris 2024 as an “absurd and dangerous spectacle” ahead of a second female boxer who previously failed a gender test prepared to fight on Friday.

 

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won against Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan in the 57kg category on Friday afternoon, August 2.

 

The bouts have been condemned by the charity Sex Matters, while there has also been criticism from Harry Potter author JK Rowling and double Olympic gold medal-winning ex-boxer Nicola Adams.

 

Khelife’s triumph on Thursday, August 1, was marred by controversy, with her Italian opponent withdrawing in tears after just 46 seconds and telling her corner: “It’s not fair.”

 

Sex Matters director of campaigns Fiona McAnena said the International Olympic Committee, which oversees the Games, should be “ashamed”.

 

She said:  “It’s grossly unfair that at the pinnacle of her sporting career, Italian boxer Angela Carini had to concede for her own safety.

 

“The look of sheer pain and devastation on her face at that moment should be enough to end the absurd and dangerous spectacle of men in women’s sport once and for all.

 

“People are rightly outraged, and the IOC should be ashamed, but they seem to be shameless as this is their policy in action.

 

“Male advantage used against women makes nearly every sport unfair, and some sports unsafe, including boxing. This is still being played out in many sports worldwide.”

 

Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, endorsed efforts to get a campaign in support of Carini trending.

 

American swimmer Riley Gaines, who has campaigned for women’s rights in her sport, wrote on the platform: “Men don’t belong in women’s sports. #IStandWithAngelaCarini Let’s get it trending.”

 

Both Khelif and Lin were disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events.

 

But the IBA was stripped of its recognition by the IOC last year over governance and finance issues, with the Olympic body running the boxing competition in Paris.

 

The IOC said in a statement yesterday: “These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,.

 

“Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.

 

“According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO.”

 

Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women’s competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.

 

Differences in Sexual Disorder are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs.

 

The governing body added: “The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving. Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”

 

 

But in its own statement, the IBA condemned “inconsistencies in eligibility” at the Paris Games, adding: “Both Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting post testing, did not meet the required eligibility criteria to compete within the female category of our respective events.

 

“The urgent nature of the decision (to disqualify the boxers) was justified, as the safety of our boxers is our top priority.”

 

In a newly unearthed interview filmed ahead of the Games, Khelif opened up about bouncing back from her ban over elevated testosterone levels and declared: “I wanted to show the whole world what a brave woman Imane Khelif is.”

 

Khelif’s participation in the event has been a source of controversy after she was disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year.

 

The Olympics website noted that Khelif had been disqualified hours before a gold medal bout against China’s Yang Liu in New Delhi after her elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria.

 

The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) hit back by claiming the disqualification was part of a “conspiracy” to stop them from winning a gold medal and said “medical reasons” were behind high testosterone levels.

 

After the one-sided 66kg category bout ended, Carini, also 25, said she quit the match to “safeguard my life”.

 

She added: “I couldn’t carry on. I have a big pain in my nose and I said, ‘Stop’. It’s better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping from the first hit. 

 

“It could be the match of my life but, in that moment, I had to safeguard my life, too. I felt to do this, I didn’t have any fear, I don’t have any fear of the ring or getting hit.

 

“I fought very often in the national team. I train with my brother. I’ve always fought against men, but I felt too much pain today.”

 

After the match was stopped, the referee raised Khelif’s hand in the air. But a visibly furious Carini yanked her own hand away from the fight official and walked off.

 

Angela Carini has apologised for not shaking Khelife’s hand.