Imane Khelif’s father has ardently defended her following a gender controversy that arose after her victory in the women’s 66kg category.

Khelif in her fight against Carini. Credit: Richard Pelham/Getty

This incident follows Khelif’s disqualification from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi due to not meeting their gender eligibility criteria.

With her participation in the Paris Olympics, Khelif is one of two athletes (alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting) approved to compete in women’s boxing.

The Algerian, who was born and raised as a girl, faced Italy’s Angela Carini in the Olympics round of 16 bout on Thursday (August 1). Carini withdrew from the match after 46 seconds, citing severe pain in her nose, according to her coach.

After the defeat, Carini initially refused to communicate with Khelif and lamented, “It hurt so much. I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.”

Khelif progressed to the next round. Credit: Anadolu/Getty

However, a few days later, Carini expressed a desire to apologize for her behavior.

“This whole controversy makes me sad,” she told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC has cleared her to fight, I respect that decision.

“It wasn’t something I intended to do.

“Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was upset because my Olympics had ended in disappointment.”

The Algerian Olympic Committee has also defended Khelif against the criticism, stating: “We strongly support our heroine and continue to defend her rights as a fair and qualified competitor.”

Imane Khelif. Credit: Anadolu/Getty

Meanwhile, Imane’s father, Omar Khelif, has insisted that his daughter deserves to compete.

“My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She’s a strong girl. I raised her to be hard-working and brave. She has a strong will to work and to train,” he told Sky News. “The Italian opponent she faced was unable to defeat my daughter because my daughter was stronger and she was softer.”

Following Thursday’s match, the IOC and Paris 2024 Boxing Unit issued a statement: “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.

“Eligibility rules should not be changed during an ongoing competition, and any rule change must follow appropriate processes and be based on scientific evidence.

“The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games in accordance with the Olympic Charter, the IOC Code of Ethics, and the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights.

“The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving.”