The ongoing debate over gender eligibility in Olympic boxing has reached new heights with former President Donald Trump entering the fray. This comes in the wake of a controversial bout between Algerian fighter Imane Khelif and Italy’s Angela Carini.
On Thursday, Carini, 25, faced a devastating defeat in less than a minute at the hands of Khelif during the women’s 66kg preliminaries. The fight was abruptly halted, and an emotional Carini threw her helmet to the ground, exclaiming, “This is unjust.” She later explained, “I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been criticized for allowing Khelif to compete despite previous disqualifications by the International Boxing Association (IBA) over gender eligibility issues. The IBA had disqualified Khelif from its world championships last year for failing gender tests, citing results that suggested she had XY chromosomes, which led to her exclusion from the competition. However, Khelif has never identified as male, transgender, or intersex, and has not contested her gender identity publicly.
In response to the controversy, Trump took to social media, posting a video of the fight with a statement declaring, “I will keep men out of women’s sports.” His comments reflect the broader debate over gender and sports, particularly regarding the eligibility rules that allow athletes like Khelif to compete under less stringent criteria than those in place for the 2021 Tokyo Games.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams defended the decision, stating, “Everyone competing in the women's category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports, and it is stated that is the case.” He emphasized that commenting on individual cases would be unfair and invidious.
The debate has drawn widespread criticism, with Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, expressing concern on Twitter. Alsalem stated, “Angela Carini rightly followed her instincts and prioritised her physical safety, but she and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex.”
As the controversy continues, the discussion surrounding gender eligibility in sports remains a contentious issue, with passionate arguments on both sides regarding fairness and inclusion.
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