Imane Khelif’s former opponent speaks out ahead of final match amid gender controversy
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, World News
Kya Buller
Featured Image Credit: Kelly Defina/Getty Images/Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, World News
25-year-old Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, who is currently competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been at the centre of a gender eligibility row since her first fight in the French capital - prompting her old opponents to recount their fights with her.
Khelif has found herself at the centre of an online storm with people misgendering her, and claiming that it isn't fair that she gets to fight.
Ever since she stepped into the ring on on 1 August and beat her opponent, Italy's Angela Carini after just 46 seconds, there has been online uproar.
This prompted Khelif's dad to speak out about the debacle.
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He told Reuters: “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.
“Imane is a little girl that has loved sport since she was six years old."
Amar has also clarified the gender of Khelif - who is guaranteed at least a bronze medal at the summer games - by producing a ‘family official document’.
“May 2, 1999, Imane Khelif, female. It is written here you can read it, this document doesn't lie."
Now, an old opponent of Khelif's has come out to make their own comments.
Anja Stridsman, from Australia, beat Khelif in a 2019 match.
The Daily Mail reports her as saying: "I remembered fighting her. She wasn’t particularly strong. Perhaps a bit angry but people get into this sport for different reasons.
"I remember people commenting to me 'surely she’s a man' and 'good on you for beating a man' and it angered me. Sure, it is easy to believe she is a man, she is masculine presenting, but who are we to judge her. Let her look however she wants.
"I won the fight. Her power was not any worse than any other female in the division."
Following Khelif's 46 second triumph, her opponent said she had 'never been hit so hard' in her life, and burst into tears.
She later apologised, telling Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: "All this controversy makes me sad.
"I'm sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision."
She also acknowledged her refusal to shake hands with Khelif after the match, adding: "It wasn't something I intended to do," Carini said.
"Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke."
Khelif returns to the ring tonight at 10:51pm local time (9:51pm BST) where she will fight China's Yang Liu.