Paris 2024 Olympics: Is Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif A Biological Man? What's Olympic Committee's Take?

Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif is facing a lot of social media abuse after the Italian boxer Angela Carini quit their round of 16 welterweight bout after just 46 seconds in the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday. The sports enthusiasts have questioned the IOC why they allowed Khelif to compete in the tournament, labelling her "Biological Man."

Paris (France): Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif has been facing a lot of criticism on her eligibility to participate in the Summer Games under unspecified gender after her Italian opponent Angela Carini quit the round of 16 welterweight bout in a mere 46 seconds in the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics here on Thursday.

In the extremely unusual occurrences in the Olympics, Carini's headgear was dislodged at least once by a punch from Khelif and seconds after this incident the Italian walked away and abandoned the match. Carini didn't shake hands with her rival after the decision was announced by the umpires.

Carini, who was on her knees, had blood on her trunks and cried in the ring. She said as she felt immense pain in her nose after the punch, she decided to quit the match. The 25-year-old also mentioned that she wasn't making a political statement and wasn't refusing to fight against Khelif.

The Italian boxer also stated that she was not qualified to decide whether Khelif should be allowed to compete, but she had no problem fighting her. However, sports enthusiasts have taken this issue to social media and have been sharing their views and criticising the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing a "trans" boxer to compete in women's boxing. Even celebrities like Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling called it 'disgraceful and cheating.'

Is Imane Khelif Biological Man Or Transwoman?

The answer is No! Khelif was born with Differences in Sexual Development (DSDs). DSDs are a rare condition in which a person has atypical chromosomal or androgenic sex development. In Khelif's case, she has elevated 'testosterone levels' in the male range. While it is debatable whether with high testosterone levels, should she compete in women's sports, many have been labelling her as a "Biological Man".

Another noteworthy aspect is that the Algerian boxer made her Olympics debut in the 2021 Tokyo Games, where she made the quarter-final exit after facing a defeat against Ireland's Kellie Harrington in the women's 57-60 kg category.

Khelif was again disqualified from last year's World Championship after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test. In a statement, the IBA denounced “inconsistencies in eligibility” at the Paris Games.

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

International Olympic Committee Issues Statement

The IOC reacted to the controversy after a few hours of the incident and asserted that the committee is feeling bad for the athlete who is receiving abuse from all over the world. "These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA (International Boxing Association). However, the rules of eligibility were based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and cannot be changed during a competition," the IOC said in a statement.

“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years. The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving,” the IOC said.

Read More