Gender row boxer Imane Khelif has said the storm that has descended on her over her sex amounts to bullying and could ‘destroy’ people.
The 25-year-old woman boxer from Algeria has been at the centre of an intense row as critics slammed the Olympics for allowing her involvement in Paris after she was banned from a major boxing competition last year for failing gender eligibility tests.
She has reached the semi-finals of her competition and has secured a bronze medal, at least, much to the frustration of her critics who say she should not have been allowed to participate at the Olympics.
But Khelif has fought in the Olympics before in Tokyo and her appearance there passed without fuss and only became a problem after she was one of two boxers vetoed by the World Championships in New Delhi.
The 25-year-old woman boxer from Algeria has been at the centre of an intense row
Angela Carini of Italy (right) lasted only 46 seconds against the Algerian boxer (left)
Imane Khelif of Team Algeria celebrates victory against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary
Italy ‘s Angela Carini,25, dropped to her knees in tears after losing the fight against Imane Khelif
Asked why she was being targeted at these Olympics, she said: ‘This is the question I am asking myself. Why now? Why is this happening now?
‘I don’t care. What’s important Is that I came here with a focus on my goal, which is the Olympics.
‘Today I am in the semi-finals. God willing, I will be up to the challenge in the semifinals. And God willing, I will be able to keep it under control and pass these two stages and the semifinals.’
She said she should face the same protections enjoyed by other athletes at the games.
She added: ‘I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles according to the Olympic charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes because this thing has effects, massive effects.
Khelif has fought in the Olympics before in Tokyo and her appearance there passed without fuss (Pictured, Khelif fighting Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary)
Imane Khelif and Anna Luca Hamori pictured embracing each other and grinning
Imane was seen wiping her eyes as she was flooded with emotions after her victory on August 3
‘ It can destroy people. It can kill people’s thoughts, spirits, and mind. And it can divide people.
‘And because of that I ask them to refrain from bullying. And that’s it.’
In an interview with Associated Press TV, she said she had concerns about the effects on her relations back in Algeria.
‘I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope they were not affected deeply. They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal and that would be the best response.’
The Olympics has embroiled her in claims that she is, in fact, a male, but when she finished her last bout she shouted from the ring: ‘I am a woman.’
Defeat for her in Paris tomorrow’s semi-final and her departure is likely to be greeted with cries of good riddance from her critics, but also leave damning questions over whether the acrimony was fair to her.
Khelif, who was born a female and described by Olympic chief Thomas Bach as ‘a woman… a woman… a woman’ had been targeted by the International Boxing Association at the World championships in India.
Khelif was one of two boxers to have their sex questioned at the Olympics with the second being Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ting. (Lin Yu-ting after defeating Staneva on Sunday)
Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva crossed two fingers and tapped them twice at the crowd after defeat
But she remained defiant after her first opponent cried off in 46 seconds of their bout and her second Hungarian rival posted a picture on the internet in the run up to the fight of ‘a beauty and a beast.’
But later, her Italian opponent Angela Carini apologised for walking out of the ring and quit in their fight having said tears ‘it’s just not fair.’
The Hungarian, before stepping into the ring with Khelif, declared she would enter her next fight not concerned whether she would be contesting the bout with a man or a woman.
But it only helped increase the focus on Khelif’s sex and Olympic chiefs slammed the online ‘hate speech’ levied towards her.
Khelif was one of two boxers to have their sex questioned at the Olympics with the second being Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ting who has also secured at least a bronze.
The IBA’s opposition to them was backed by celebrities like JK Rowling who questioned the Olympic decision to allow them to participate.
Khelif and Yu-Ting were disqualified from last year’s World Championships, after they were reported to have failed gender tests. Neither are trans, but officials from the Russian backed IBA, which issued the ban, said both had XY chromosomes, the male gene.
In an interview with Associated Press TV, she said she had concerns about the effects on her relations back in Algeria. (Khelif, pictured front right, as a child)
An emotional Imane Khelif cries after she guaranteed herself an Olympic medal against Anna Luca Hamon
However Olympic officials say the matter is a ‘minefield’ and that no forensic and unquestionable scientific evidence has been provided to prove both athletes were not women.
IOC chief Bach said: ‘We are talking about women’s boxing .We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who were raised as women, who have passport as women, who have competed for many years as women. This is the clear definition of a woman.’
But Khelif’s team were unhappy with the ‘baseless’ accusations made against the boxer who now returns to Algeria having provided the most sensational boxing bout after defeating her first opponent in just 46 seconds on Thursday.
However, she is said to be set for a tumultuous welcome when she lands back in Algeria with offers of TV shows and films, said an Algerian businessman living in Paris.
‘She is a national heroine back home. The public there are very sorry for her for the way she has been treated. She is star now.’
