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Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif Calls For End To Bullying After Backlash Over Gender Misconceptions
PARIS — Olympic boxer Imane Khelif stated that the wave of harsh scrutiny she has received due to misconceptions about her gender “harms human dignity,” and she called for a stop to athlete bullying after being severely touched by the public outcry.
On Sunday night, the Algerian athlete spoke about her traumatic Olympic experience with SNTV, The Associated Press’s sports video partner.
“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif, in Arabic, added. “It has the ability to destroy people and annihilate their thoughts, spirits, and minds. It has the potential to cause division among individuals. And as a result, I beg that they avoid from bullying.”
The triumphs of Khelif and fellow Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting in the ring in Paris have become one of the Paris Games’ most memorable stories. Both women have won their first Olympic gold despite facing online abuse based on false accusations about their gender, highlighting a broader rift over shifting views towards gender identity and sporting laws.
Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif Calls For End To Bullying After Backlash Over Gender Misconceptions
The 25-year-old Khelif admitted to the stress and pain of this struggle while competing distantly from home in the most crucial event of her sporting career.
“I contact my family twice a week. “I hope they were not severely affected,” she remarked. “They’re worried about me. God willing, this crisis will result in a gold medal, which would be the best reaction.”
The vitriol originates from the International Boxing Association, which has been permanently barred from competing in the Olympics, claiming that Khelif and Lin failed unspecified eligibility checks for the women’s division at last year’s world championships.
When asked if she had done any testing other than doping tests, Khelif declined to comment, stating that she did not want to discuss it.
She thanked the International Olympic Committee and its president, Thomas Bach, for standing firmly behind her when the banned old regulatory body of Olympic boxing created controversy over her participation in Paris.
“I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice, and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth,” she explained.
She has also received overwhelming support at her bouts, with spectators waving Algerian flags and singing her first name. She will compete again on Tuesday in the women’s 66-kilogram semifinals at Roland Garros.
“I don’t care about anyone’s opinion,” Khelif stated the day after defeating Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori. “I came here to get a medal and compete for one. I will undoubtedly compete to improve and be better, and God willing, I shall improve alongside every other athlete.”
Khelif said she is aware of the worldwide talk about her but has kept a distance from it.
“Honestly, I don’t follow social media,” she told me. “There is a mental health team that does not allow us to use social media, particularly during the Olympic Games, whether I or other competitors. I’m here to compete and get a good result.”
Khelif began her Olympic campaign last Thursday with a victory over Angela Carini of Italy, who left the fight after 46 seconds. Carini later stated that she regretted her decision and wanted to apologize to Khelif.
That unexpected ending sparked outrage, prompting remarks from former US President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, and others who incorrectly claimed Khelif was a guy or transgender.
The IOC has consistently pronounced that she and Lin qualified to compete in the Olympics, and it has criticized the IBA’s unclear testing procedures and opaque governance, which was barred from the Olympics last year as an extraordinary punishment for a regulatory body.
Khelif felt the weight of the world’s attention on her, and her win over Hamori on Saturday proved cathartic. After the referee raised Khelif’s hand to confirm her victory, she proceeded to the center of the ring, waved to her admirers, knelt, and pounded her palm down the canvas, her smile turning to tears.
“I couldn’t control my nerves,” Khelif admitted during the interview. “since after the media frenzy and the triumph, there was a mix of excitement and sadness, and I was deeply impacted since it wasn’t an easy thing to go through. It was something that degraded human decency.”
She had competed in IBA competitions for several years without incident before being abruptly suspended from last year’s global championships. The Russian-dominated board has had years of disagreements with the IOC and has refused to release any details about the testing.
Algeria’s national boxing federation remains an IBA member.
Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif Calls For End To Bullying After Backlash Over Gender Misconceptions
Khelif comes from rural northwestern Algeria and grew up playing football before falling in love with boxing. She overcame her father’s first misgivings and traveled 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) by bus to train for fights in a nearby town.
After reaching the sport’s pinnacle in her late teens, she battled early in her career before earning elite status. Khelif has been a consistent, unspectacular international competitor for six years, but she lost to eventual gold medallist Kellie Harrington of Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics.
Khelif’s next about in Paris will be against Thai fighter Janjaem Suwannapheng. If Khelif wins again, she’ll compete for a gold medal Friday.
“Yes, this issue involves the dignity and honour of every woman and female,” she told an Algerian television in a brief statement Sunday after beating Hamori. “The Arab population has known me for years and has seen me box in the IBA that wronged me (and) treated me unfairly, but I have God on my side.”
___SOURCE | AP
