Khelif wins first Olympic fight when opponent quits amid gender test controversy

Imane Khelif of Algeria won her opening boxing bout of the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 on Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy quit after just 46 secondsKhelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test and her presence at the Paris Olympics 2024 has become a divisive issueCarini and Khelif exchanged only a few punches before Carini walked away and abandoned the bout an extremely unusual occurrence in Olympic boxing Carinis headgear apparently became dislodged at least once before she quit Carini didnt shake Khelifs hand after the decision was announced but cried in the ring on her kneesAfterward a stilltearful Carini said she quit because of intense pain in her nose after the opening punches Carini who had a spot of blood on her trunks said she wasnt making a political statement and was not refusing to fight KhelifI felt a severe pain in my nose and with the maturity of a boxer I said enough because I didnt want to I didnt want to I couldnt finish the match Carini saidThis biological male just left his female opponent in tears after beating her in the Paris Olympics WOMENS boxing Imane Khelif who claims to be a woman previously failed a gender test after being found to have male XY chromosomes Should men be allowed in womenrsquos sports pictwittercomqwLtH57cNlmdash Oli London OliLondonTV August 1 2024Carini further said she is not qualified to decide whether Khelif should be allowed to compete but she had no problem fighting herI am not here to judge or pass judgment Carini said If an athlete is this way and in that sense its not right or it is right its not up to me to decide I just did my job as a boxer I got into the ring and fought I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometerldquoI wanted this victory at all costs Just for my fatherrdquoItalian boxer Angela Carini emotionally discusses winning for her late father after securing a spot at the Paris Olympics She just forfeited her match against Imane Khelif who is male pictwittercomzypHELjldXmdash Steve McGuire sfmcguire79 August 1 2024Khelif is an accomplished amateur who won a silver medal at the International Boxing Associations 2022 world championships The same governing body disqualified her from last years championships shortly before her goldmedal match because of what it claimed were elevated levels of testosteroneThe 25yearold entered the ring at the North Paris Arena to a chorus of cheers but the crowd was confused by the bouts sudden end Khelif who fights again Saturday didnt speak to reportersI am heartbroken because I am a fighter Carini said My father taught me to be a warrior I have always stepped into the ring with honor and I have always served my country with loyalty And this time I couldnt do it because I couldnt fight anymore and so I ended the matchKhelif and Lin Yuting of Taiwan suddenly have received massive scrutiny for their presence in Paris after years of amateur competition Lin won IBA world championships in 2018 and 2022 but the governing body stripped her of a bronze medal last year because it claimed she failed to meet unspecified eligibility requirements in a biochemical testAlso ReadDidnt even call him to avoid distraction Shooter Swapnils parentsLin begins her Paris run FridayThe Algerian Olympic Committee issued a statement Wednesday condemning what it termed lies and unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete Imane Khelif with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outletsItalian Premier Giorgia Meloni who was visiting Italy athletes in the Olympic Village on Thursday voiced criticism that Carini had to box Khelif saying she had since 2021 opposed allowing athletes with genetically male characteristics to compete against womenWe have to pay attention in an attempt to not discriminate that were actually discriminating against womens rights Meloni saidShe said it was necessary to guarantee the rights of athletes so they are competing on an even playing fieldIn these things what counts is your dedication your head and character but it also counts having a parity of arms Meloni saidThe Italian female Boxer Angela Carini who was boxing Imane Khelif who was born as a male quit her Boxing match with Imane after just 45 seconds after being shock with the power of the punches and its been reported she has a broken nose as a resultpictwittercomUfVbenIQdymdash Pavvy G pavyg August 1 2024Lin has been an elitelevel amateur boxer for a decade and Khelif for six yearsThe IOC on Tuesday defended their right to compete Olympic boxing reached gender parity for the first time this year with 124 men and 124 women competing in ParisEveryone competing in the womens category is complying with the competition eligibility rules IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said They are women in their passports and its stated that this is the case that they are femaleLin is the top seed in the 57kilogram category although Olympic seeding is frequently unindicative of the top medal contenders in a divisionSeveral sports have updated their gender rules over the past three years including World Aquatics World Athletics and the International Cycling UnionThe IOC said it made its eligibility decisions on boxers based on the genderrelated rules that applied at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro OlympicsThe IOC is in charge of boxing in Paris because the IBA has been banned from the past two Olympics because of years of governance problems a lack of financial transparency and many perceived instances of corruption in judging and refereeingREAD CAREFULLY At every major sporting event our champion and talented boxer Imene Khelif is attacked from all sides And this year is no exception We will never allow our rising star of Algerian boxing to be dragged through the mud as happens every time Serioushellipmdash Algeacuterie Football Meacutedia DZFOOTBALLDZ July 30 2024The IOC has revoked the Olympic status of the IBA which is controlled by president Umar Kremlev who is RussianThe IBA has aggressively seized on the boxers presence in Paris to criticize the IOC After the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the IOCs ban earlier this year the IBA appealed to the Swiss Federal TribunalWomens boxers have been asked about Khelif and Lin repeatedly this week Many have expressed concern while others have urged more consideration of an obviously complicated issueI dont agree with that being allowed especially in combat sports as it can be incredibly dangerous Australias Caitlin Parker saidIts not like I havent sparred with guys before but it can be dangerous for combat sports and it should be seriously looked into It is good that these things are coming out and its being put under the spotlight to be looked into further Biologically and genetically they are going to have more advantages Combat sports can be dangerous Fairness is what its all about We all want fairness in sport