Harbhajan calls for IOC to revoke Imane Khelif’s Oly gold after leaked report

Months after the conclusion of the Paris Games a fresh wave of controversy emerged surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelifs gender following the leak of a recent medical report The report which French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia reportedly obtained allegedly confirmed that Khelif was biologically maleAlso Read Gender row may hurt boxingrsquos Olympic futureThe document said to have been compiled by specialists from the KremlinBicetre Hospital in Paris and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine Hospital in Algiers detailed Khelifrsquos biological traits including internal testicles and XY chromosomes These characteristics are commonly associated with a condition known as 5alpha reductase deficiency a form of intersex variationA snippet from the Khelifs medical report Source httpslecorrespondantnetimanekhelifniovairesniuterusmaisdestesticulesKhelif garnered significant attention throughout the Paris Olympics 2024 where she claimed the womenrsquos 66kg gold medal Her victory however was shrouded in controversy as questions arose about her eligibility to compete in the womenrsquos division Many critics including highprofile figures publicly labeled Khelif a biological man questioning the fairness of her participationThe leaked report caused an uproar prompting former cricketer Harbhajan Singh to voice his concerns on social media The former offspinner also urged the International Olympic Committee IOC to revoke Khelifrsquos gold medal Take the Gold back Olympics This isnrsquot fair httpstcoZO3yJmqdpYmdash Harbhajan Turbanator harbhajan_singh November 5 2024Even Donald Trump the former US president and 2024 presidential candidate weighed in on the controversy using Khelifs case as a rallying point to criticise the BidenHarris administrationrsquos stance on gender in sportsAlso Read It can destroy people Olympic boxer Imane Khelif calls for end to bullying after backlash over gender misconceptionsTogether with Taiwanrsquos Lin Yuting Khelif had been banned by the International Boxing Association IBA from participating in the World Championship Gold Medal bout in New Delhi last year further fueling the debate surrounding her eligibilityHowever they were cleared to compete in Paris setting the stage for one of the biggest controversies of the Games After receiving a phone call from the Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune the triumphant 25yearold in an interview with beIN Sports was quoted as saying ldquoI was subjected to bullying and a fierce campaign and this is the greatest response to themrdquo With the gold medal hanging around her neck Khelif was asked at a packed press conference about the eligibility row that dogged her GamesldquoI am fully qualified to take part I am a woman like any other I was born a woman lived a woman and competed as a woman ldquoThese are enemies of successrdquo she added ldquoThat gives my success a special taste because of these attacksrdquo