Sentinel Digital Desk
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, is one of two athletes authorized to compete in the women's boxing in Paris after being disqualified from last year's Women's World Championships for failing to meet eligibility requirements.
According to the Algerian Olympic Committee, the 25-year-old Khelif was disqualified last year after "elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria".
However, IBA President Umar Kremlev, who disqualified Khelif from the 2023 World Boxing Championships in New Delhi stated that, “Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition”.
Khelif played Carini on Thursday, August 1. In 46 seconds, Khelif won with a punch to the face. Carini halted the match, saying, "It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment."
The incident has sparked controversy over whether athletes who have undergone comparable eligibility testing should be allowed to compete in the Olympics and other events.
In response to the incident, the International Olympic Committee stated, "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Paris Olympics 2024 respect the rules of eligibility and registration for the competition (...) they are women in their sport, and it is established in this case that they are women."
"I believe that athletes with male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions," Italian Prime Minister Meloni stated. "And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms."
"I am not here to judge or pass judgment," Carini stated. "If an athlete is this way, whether it is wrong or right, it is not up to me to decide. I just finished my work as a boxer. I got in the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and a shattered heart for not finishing the final kilometer."