Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who just qualified for the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics, hints that she feels like a victim of bullying.
“I send a message to all the people in the world to support the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, and to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has enormous effects,” Khelif said in an interview with the international sports news agency SNTV.
Bullying, he adds, “can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirits and minds. It can divide people. That’s why I ask you to refrain from bullying.”
In the interview, the 25-year-old boxer refused to answer when asked if she had undergone any other tests besides the anti-doping ones, saying she did not want to talk about it.
Khelif found herself in a particularly heated debate after her round of 16 bout in the welterweight category, when her opponent, Italian Angela Carini, withdrew after just 45 seconds, complaining that she had received a punch to the nose that was too strong, which scared her.
Last year, the International Boxing Federation (IBA) – an organization not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – excluded the Algerian athlete from the World Championships final, deeming her unfit to compete against female boxers.
In recent weeks, news has spread that this exclusion was due to excessive levels of testosterone detected in Khelif’s blood, but the IBA has denied having subjected her to testosterone tests, without however specifying further – for privacy reasons – the reasons for the exclusion.
One of the hypotheses put forward – but which at the moment have no official confirmation – is that the boxer is an intersex subject: that is, she would have the XY sex chromosomes typical of a male despite having the genitals typical of a female.
According to the IOC, the athlete meets the parameters required to be admitted to women’s Olympic competitions, however the decision to have her compete with other women has been criticized by many. Even several members of the Italian government have come out against the green light given to Khelif.
Speaking to Sntv, the boxer expressed gratitude to the International Olympic Committee and its president, Thomas Bach, for supporting her: “I know that the IOC has done me justice, and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth,” she says.
“I’m in touch with my family two days a week. I hope they haven’t been affected deeply,” he explains.
Khelif then notes that during the quarterfinal match, won against Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori, she was very tense: “I couldn’t control my nerves,” she says. “There was a mixture of joy and at the same time I was very shocked, because honestly it was not an easy thing to deal with.”
“I don’t care about anyone’s opinion,” the boxer adds. “I came here for a medal and to compete for a medal. Of course, I will compete to improve and be better. And, God willing, I will improve, like any other athlete.”
“Honestly, I don’t follow social media,” he concludes. “There’s a mental health team that doesn’t let us follow social media, especially during the Olympics, neither me nor other athletes. I’m here to compete and do well.”
Last Saturday, after defeating Hamori, Khelif burst into tears: “It is a question of dignity and honor for every woman,” she said.
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