Debate around Khelif’s gender arose after Angela Carini abandoned match within 46 seconds due to painful blows
Pairs(Webdesk);Imane Khelif’s Father Speaks Out Amid Gender Eligibility Controversy, Khelif’s father has come to her defense amid the ongoing gender eligibility controversy surrounding the young athlete. In an emotional statement, he expressed his support for his daughter and criticized the discrimination she has faced.
“My daughter is a victim of discrimination,” he said. “She has been subjected to unnecessary scrutiny and questioning, and it’s unacceptable.”
Khelif’s father emphasized that his daughter’s gender eligibility has been repeatedly verified by medical professionals and sporting authorities. He argued that the controversy is unfounded and has caused unnecessary distress for his family.
Transgender Participation in Women’s Sports: A Complex Issue
The Khelif family has faced intense media scrutiny and public debate since the gender eligibility controversy emerged. Imane’s father has called for an end to the speculation and for his daughter to be allowed to focus on her athletic career without further distraction.
n an interview at his simple, cinderblock home on the outskirts of the northern Algerian city of Tiaret, her father said he was proud of his daughter and backed her to win a medal for all of Algeria.
“Having such a daughter is an honour because she is a champion; she honoured me, and I encourage her, and I hope she will get the medal in Paris,” he said. “Imane is a little girl who has loved sports since she was six-years-old.”
He shared with Reuters an official-looking document that showed her birthday. “This is our family official document, May 2, 1999, Imane Khelif, female. It is written here; you can read it; this document doesn’t lie,” he said.
Khelif fell foul of IBA eligibility rules that prevent athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events when she was disqualified hours before her gold-medal bout in New Delhi last year.
Additionally, Bouchra Rebihi, a 17-year-old who dreams of turning pro, scorned Khelif’s naysayers.
“I know Imane Khelif as the champion of Algeria many times, the champion of Africa as well, and also the Arab champion,” she said.
“These critics aim to destabilise her to fail in the boxing ring, but she is a champion, and she will remain a champion.”
Meanwhile, Khelif will be facing Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori later on Sunday in the women’s welterweight quarterfinals.
