Olympic boxer Imane Khelif's gender dispute intensifies

Controversies surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's gender seem never-ending. Her former sparring partner Joana Nwamerue decided to speak up on the matter, but her words will not please the 2024 Olympic gold medalist.

During the 2024 Olympic Games, there was no shortage of controversies. One of them involved Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, and it all began after her first fight. She needed only 46 seconds to dismiss Angela Carini, as the Italian gave up the fight.

At that time, the situation garnered attention when Khelif reached the finals of the 2023 World Championships and was disqualified by the IBA. The International Boxing Association cited her high testosterone levels.

The Algerian became an Olympic champion during the competitions in Paris. However, the dispute over her gender led her to file a complaint with the prosecutor's office, involving well-known individuals such as J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk.

Someone who had the opportunity to train with Khelif may soon join this group. Bulgarian-Nigerian boxer Joana Nwamerue, who was her sparring partner, spoke out on the matter.

- [Khelif] has some kind of internal issues. But he is a man. I will stay [by] my words until he/she does a test to prove to the world that he/she is a WOMAN. But we all know that won’t happen (...) I think we played 3-4 sparring sessions. I have a record of everything. I can confirm that this is a man to me. Male power. Men’s techniques, everything – confessed Nwamerue, as quoted by the online magazine "Reduxx".

- "[Khelif’s] teammates came to me and told me ‘Imane is not a man. She is a woman and just lives high in the mountains with her relatives and parents and so there may be a change in her testosterone or chromosomes and the like. So myself and my coach watched [Khelif] and I said ‘that can’t be possible.’ Everywhere has people living in the mountains. It’s absurd – she added.