Boxing | Now Imane Khelif, who got into a boxing scandal, speaks – “I want to send a clear message to everyone”

Boxer Imane Khelif face Thailand Janjaem Suwannaphengi in the semifinals of the women’s 66 kg category on Tuesday. Khelif has the opportunity to advance to fight even for Olympic gold, but the Algerian’s Olympic journey has been anything but golden.

Khelif spoke to international media early Monday morning in an interview published by sports media of SNTV with.

The uproar around Khelif has been going on for a while and exploded on Thursday when Khelif beat Italy by Angela Carin After 46 seconds.

Khelif will fight in Paris in the women’s division, despite being suspended from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to gender concerns. According to it, Khelif has a pair of XY chromosomes, while normally women have a pair of XX chromosomes.

IBA rejected the boxers, but a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee Mark Adams said last week that it is not known how the tests were done and whether they can be trusted.

“She was born a woman, has lived as a woman, according to her passport she is a woman and she has boxed as a woman. This is not about transgenderism or about a man fighting a woman. That needs to be made clear,” Adams emphasized at the time.

Now Khelif speaks for the first time in depth after his struggle.

“I want to send a clear message to all the people of the world. I want us to maintain the idea and principles of the Olympics not to bully athletes. It has effects, huge effects,” says Khelif, according to news agency AP.

“This kind of thing can destroy people, destroy people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. Therefore, I ask them all to stop bullying.”

According to AP, Khelif said in an interview that being in the middle of constant speculation and barking has caused significant pressure and pain while competing far from home in the biggest competition of his life.

Italian Carini, whose tearful defeat fanned the flames around Khelif, lamented the situation his opponent found himself in. He apologized for not shaking Khelif’s hand after the struggle.

“All this makes me very sad. I feel sorry for my opponent too. If he is fit to fight in the opinion of the IOC, I respect that decision. I wasn’t going to leave without shaking hands. I want to apologize to him and others. I was angry because my Olympic dream was over,” Carini said after the Games, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

In addition to Khelif, Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting has been subjected to similar treatment. Both have secured an Olympic medal, but have been subject to constant harassment and speculation.