The first week of the 2024 Summer Olympics is about to come to an end. What is the sport that fans are talking about? Swimming, it ain't. It's not the triathlon and the polluted Seine. How about women's olympics boxing? It would surprise some spectators, and those watching in their living rooms, but the latest issue would remind older fans of a South African runner who captured the imagination of athletics fans in the 2012 Olympics.
Imane Khelif, the top female boxer from Algeria, advanced to the next round of the light welterweight division. But not without a controversy. Angela Carini, who won a medal at the 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship, abandoned her round-of-16 bout against Khelif after 46 seconds of the first round.
The first punch from Khelif dislodged Carini's chinstrap and then a second smashed against her chin and bloodied her shorts. After multiple punches, the Italian boxer returned to her corner and raised her hand. She fell to her knees, sobbing. Carini refused to shake Khelif's hand after the latter was declared the winner.
“It’s not a defeat for me - for me if you go in the ring you have already won, regardless of everything else. I’m not here to judge. It’s not up to me to say if it’s fair or not fair. I just did my job. I managed to leave with my head held high. I’m a mature woman; when I feel I cannot continue, it's not giving in, it’s having the dignity to say enough. I was convinced I would win, I was concentrated, serene. But these punches to the nose hurt, I said enough.”
Khelif stopped briefly to speak to the media: “I am here for gold,” the Algerian said. “I will fight anybody, I will fight them all.”
The OIC has a say on the matter.
“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure - especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years,” the IOC said.
“Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination,” it added.
“We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 ... the IOC is saddened by the abuse that Khelf is currently receiving.”
Imane Khelif's rags-to--riches story mirrored Manny Pacquiao' history's. Her father prohibited her from pursuing boxing because it wasn't a sport fit for girls. She excelled in football in her rural village of Tiaret in western Algeria, but the boys in her village felt threatened and picked fights with her. It was her ability to dodge that got her into boxing. The younger Khelif sold scrap metals for recycling, and her mother sold couscous, to raise money for her training.
Khelif was 19 years of age when she competed in the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India, where she came in 17th place. She placed 33rd in the 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Russia. She represented Algeria in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where she bowed to (eventual champion) Kellie Harrington of Ireland in the quarterfinals. Khelif was proud to compete on the world stage, as she stressed that Algerian women have limited opportunities. Her parents were her biggest supporters, and their presence would inspire her.
The Algerian boxer had a banner year in 2022, winning the gold in the light welterweight division in the 2022 African Games and the 2022 Mediterranean Games and the silver (in the light welterweight division) in the 2022 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships. She was a gold-medal contender in the 2023 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, but she and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan failed the testosterone and gender eligibility tests.
Algeria protested the decision, calling it an "unethical targeting". The tests were conducted by OIC. AIBA questioned OIC’s stance. Politics complicated the matter, and Khelif was allowed to participate in the Paris Olympics. The Turkish Boxing Federation attempted to disqualify the Algerian boxer, but OIC rejected their appeal.
Some boxing fans are unaware that Khelif's case reminded track and field fans of a former Olympic champion.
Caster Semenya, a native of Polokwane, South Africa, made her countrymen proud after winning the gold medal in the women's 800 meters in the 2012 London Olympics. She defended her title in the 2016 Rio Olympics. It changed her life. What happened in 2009 was an eye opener for her.
Semenya underwent sex testing (in 2009), and she was allowed to compete after the result came out. It sparked controversy, though. In fact, the South African runner wrote and published "The Race To Be Myself" last year. Her memoir touched on the so-called brouhaha.
“There are people out there who are born with internal testicles. There are people who are born with high testosterone. But they should embrace that. There’s nothing wrong about it,” she conceded. “Yes, I’m not happy about how they revealed it to me - I should’ve been the one to do that - but they’ve done me a favor at the end of the day."
Semanya's case, and Khelif's, would remind some sports fans about the discrimination that female athletes must deal with throughout their careers. Is it really a case of fairness? It would be unfair to ask Khelif. The Algerian is a UNICEF ambassador. As for Semenya, she continues to fight. It might have taken a toll on her performance, but she has nothing left to prove to anyone.
Imane Khelif has a mission: An Olympic gold medal would make her a heroine in Algeria. It should inspire younger Algerian women to pursue their dreams through sports. To the West, it doesn't look like she has broken a glass ceiling.
Luca Hamori is Khelif's next opponent. The Hungarian is undaunted at their upcoming bout.
“I will go to the ring and I will get my win. I trust my coaches and I trust myself,” she said.
If the Algerian won her quarterfinal bout, then she'll face defending Olympic champion Busenaz Sürmeneli of Turkey. The Turkish Boxing Federation is desperate.
Your thoughts?
Keep in touch with OKBet, the most reliable sports betting platform in Asia. If you want to know what’s happening in the world of sports, whether it’s boxing, baseball or any other sport, OKBet will keep you fully informed. And you have a chance to gamble and get rewards. Log on now to OKBet!
