Ahmad 
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed Algerian boxer Imane Khalif’s eligibility to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, denying accusations that she is transgender.
The committee’s spokesman, Mark Adams, said in a press conference that Imane “was born female, is registered as female, has lived her life as female, boxes as female, and has a female passport,” stressing that the issue is not related to transgenderism.
Khalif qualified for the round of 16 in the 66kg weight class after her Italian competitor, Angela Carini, withdrew from the fight after receiving a strong punch to the nose.
The IOC’s decision sparked an uproar, with British author JK Rowling criticizing the decision to allow Khalif to compete, writing on the “X” platform: “Everything a young boxer has worked and trained for has been taken away after a man was allowed to enter the ring with her. Paris 2024 will forever be stained by this brutal injustice.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the confrontation as unequal, adding: “I believe that female athletes with male chromosomes should not be allowed to participate in women’s competitions.”
For its part, the Algerian Olympic Committee condemned the criticism directed at Khalifa, describing it as attempts to discredit him based on lies.
Algerian Minister of Youth and Sports Abdel Rahman Hamad stressed the government’s support for Algerian athletes in the face of this campaign.
اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية تحسم الجدل بشأن الملاكمة الجزائرية إيمان خلف التي تشارك في أولمبياد باريس. pic.twitter.com/j2pcXPH2Yv
— الجزيرة نت رياضة (@AJASports) August 2, 2024
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