The Algerian Olympic boxer also urged “all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles, according to the Olympic Charter”.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Algerian Olympic boxer, Imane Khelif, has broken her silence after she faced false accusations over her gender following her first fight against Italy's Angela Carini in the Paris Olympics.
The Italian boxer withdrew just 46 seconds after the start of the match and did not shake Khelif’s hand after the decision was announced. She could be seen in the ring saying "Non è giusto" — "It's not fair" in Italian.
In a statement afterwards, the Italian boxer said she quit because of severe pain in her nose after the opening punches.
The incident stirred up international backlash, and Khelif’s eligibility to participate was brought into question.
'It can destroy people'
Khelif has now responded and said the media frenzy had had a significant impact on her. In an interview given in Arabic, she urges “all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles, according to the Olympic Charter”.
She drew attention to how damaging the gender scrutiny has been to her and used the opportunity to call for an end to the bullying of athletes. Bullying “can destroy people; it can kill people's thoughts, spirit, and mind. And it can divide people,” Khelif added.
The 25-year-old Algerian boxer admitted that her family is also worried for her. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal and that would be the best response."
The boxer says she has questions about the timing of the accusations, and wonders why this is happening now, even though she has been boxing for years.
Khelif shared that she often visited the city of Assisi in the south of Italy for training camps and that Carini had known her for a long time. “The coaches have known me since I was young in the national team, and I used to train with them. The (Italian) boxer herself knew me and knew me well.”
Khelif's coach, Mohamed Chaoua, added to the conversation, saying that "in the Algerian state ... changing (one's) gender is not allowed."
"Even in developing country this operations are costly, if Imane had the funds to do as people are alleging and accusing her she'd rather feed herself, buy bread and clothes and live like the rest of her friends," Chaoua said.
Barriers are motivation
Khelif was in tears after she defeated Hungary’s Anna Hamori and progressed to the semi-finals.
In the interview, the boxer opened up about her motivation to perform and claimed that 'barriers motivate the will', a statement she said she has believed in since a young age.
The 25-year-old has repeatedly stated that she would not let the accusations deter her from attempting to win Algeria’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing.
Khelif thanks the International Olympic Committee for its support after facing an uproar over her eligibility to participate in the Olympics. She added that the IOC president, Thomas Bach, sent her a personal message in which he supported and encouraged her.
ADVERTISEMENTThe boxer also thanked those who stood up for her. “I want to thank everyone who supported me, all Algerian men and women, all the people of the Arab world, and the whole world who stood with me in this fierce campaign against me."
Angela Carini has since expressed her sadness about the gender controversy and apologised to Khelif.
Khelif's next bout in Paris is against Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand. If she wins again, she will fight for a gold medal on Friday night.