Gender controversy sparks Olympic debate over Imane Khelif
The controversy surrounding the gender of Imane Khelif, competing in women's boxing at the Paris Olympics, continues to escalate. Some argue that she should fight against men. "Are you kidding me? I’ve lost all my respect for the IOC," legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya exclaimed.
Representing Algeria, Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting, fighting for Taiwan, have been stirring controversy in the world of women's boxing for some time. During the World Championships in 2023, they were excluded from the competition due to excessively high testosterone levels.
Imane Khelif, despite her DNA tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) revealing the presence of male chromosomes, continues to participate in women's boxing competitions, and in recent days she has been the talk of the world.
All because of her performances at the Olympics in Paris. On Thursday, the Algerian advanced to the women's Olympic tournament quarter-finals in the under 66 kg category after her opponent, Italian Angela Carini, quit after the first punch. The fight lasted only 46 seconds. Carini later explained that she did not want to risk her health in a fight with the Algerian. This only fueled the debate about Khelif's gender.
Oscar De La Hoya - one of the biggest stars in boxing history, a world champion in six weight categories, weighed in on the issue. De La Hoya, who competed in the Olympics and won a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992, is shocked by the situation.
- What in the ... is going on?! - he asked. He added "In Paris this year, where two biological men are competing against biological women in the sport of boxing? The IOC allowed this to happen."
Oscar De La Hoya announced that he plans to submit a petition to the International Olympic Committee to prevent similar incidents from occurring during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
