The father of Olympic boxer Imana Khelif has spoken out about the controversy surrounding his daughter at the 2024 Paris Summer Games.
On Saturday, August 3, the boxer’s dad Amar Khelif opened up in an interview with Reuters about his daughter’s passion for boxing – and said her recent streak of victories that guaranteed her at least a bronze medal had made him proud.
“Having such a daughter is an honor because she is a champion, she honored me, I encourage her and I hope she gets a medal in Paris,” Amar told Reuters. “Imane is a girl who loves sports since she was six years old.”
Omar Khelif (right) on August 2, 2024.
AFP via Getty Images
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While speaking to the media, Khelifa’s father also shared an official-looking document, showing her birthday and gender. “This is the official document of our family, May 2, 1999, Imane Khelif, female. It says here, you can read it, this document does not lie,” he said.
Khelif has been at the center of gender-based controversy following her match on Thursday, August 1, against Italian boxer Angela Carini, who pulled out of her bout against Khelif, citing a severe nose injury.
After the match, critics of the Algerian boxer argued that she should not have competed in the Olympics after being disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championships for failing an unspecified International Boxing Association (IBA) gender eligibility test, according to a report from the Associated Press.
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The IBA claimed at the time that fitness test results showed Khelif had elevated testosterone levels, but other boxing officials claimed the test results were not transparent, and the IBA has since been suspended from membership. International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to allegations of corruption, reports ESPN.
The IOC subsequently reaffirmed its decision to allow Khelif to compete at the games. According to the AP, “Khelif was assigned female at birth and it says so on her passport, which is the International Olympic Committee’s threshold for boxing eligibility.”
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From left: Imane Khelif competes against Anna Luca Hamori during the Olympics.
Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty
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Khelif has previously been open about how close she is to her family and has said they have influenced her boxing career. In an interview Sunday, Aug. 4, with SNTV, the Associated Press’ sports video partner, she talked about staying connected to them while competing in Paris during the Olympics.
“I’m in contact with my family two days a week. I hope it hasn’t affected them deeply,” said the boxer, acknowledging her recent controversies. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best answer,” she continued, according to the Associated Press, sharing her gratitude to the Olympic Committee for upholding her “justice.” ”
Khelif will next meet Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the semi-finals on Tuesday, August 6.
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education