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Olympia semi-finals

Controversial boxer wins, salutes and cries

Status: 19:57 | Reading time: 4 minutes

By Laura Wolf

Editor at the Axel Springer Sports Competence Center

Imane Khelif after her victory in the quarterfinals

Quelle: Getty Images/Richard Pelham

The IBA boxing association disqualified Imane Khelif because of a gender test. However, the association has no say in the Olympics. The controversial president uses the debate to further fuel the issue. Meanwhile, Khelif wins the next duel and a medal.

The gender debate surrounding boxer Imane Khelif is never-ending. The 25-year-old from Algeria won the welterweight quarter-final against Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori (23) by unanimous decision despite a warning. After the fight ended, she hit the ring floor with full force out of joy, saluted and cried.

After making a brief statement to the TV channels, she headed to her changing room – still in tears. Several stewards and support staff supported her, while her coaches angrily waved journalists away. By making it to the semi-finals, Khelif has already secured a medal.

Before the fight, which was attended by numerous international media representatives, Hamori made a provocative statement on the highly emotional debate: “If she or he is a man, it would be an even bigger victory for me if I win.” Afterwards she explained: “I think the last few days have been difficult for everyone, for me and for her too, and that’s why I wanted to show that I respect her and have no bad thoughts towards her, because it’s not her fault. It happened as it happened, we both got into the ring to fight and she has now won, and in the future it may be different.”

Suspended boxing association pays eliminated Italian a lot of money

The controversial boxing association IBA has also intervened in the case. The Italian Angela Carini, who gave up after 46 seconds in the fight with the Algerian, is said to She and her team received 100,000 US dollars – as if she had become Olympic champion.

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The IBA disqualified Khelif at the World Championships last year because he failed a gender test. The association does not want to give any further details about the tests, but speaks of competitive advantages. However, the association has no say in the Olympics – the IOC no longer recognizes it. Those responsible are accused of corruption, leadership problems and distortion of competition. President Umar Kremlev is also considered a close confidant of Vladimir Putin and was a member of the biker group Night Wolves, which is considered anti-Western and homophobic.

Nevertheless, the IBA guarantees prize money for boxers at the Olympics: Gold medals are rewarded with 100,000 US dollars, and there are also bonuses for silver (50,000 dollars) and bronze (25,000 dollars). For gold, the athlete normally receives 50,000 US dollars, and the national association and the responsible coach each receive 25,000 dollars.

“I couldn’t bear to see her tears”

The Italian had been defeated miserably in her first fight against Khelif. After a few punches, she complained of pain in her nose and gave up. The handshake that is customary in boxing was not given after the duel, which further fueled the debate. Khelif is now in the semifinals and is thus guaranteed a medal. In the quarterfinals, she won against the Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori (23) by unanimous decision on points, despite a warning.

IBA President Kremlev is now using the public debate to further fuel the issue. In a press release, he said sentimentally: “I couldn’t bear to see their tears. I am not indifferent to such situations and I can assure you that we will protect every female boxer. I don’t understand why they are abolishing women’s boxing. In the interests of safety, only eligible female athletes should enter the ring.”

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Kremlev also said that the IBA would support Sitora Turdibekova. The Uzbek woman lost her fight against Lin Yu Ting from Taiwan, the second “male” boxer. Lin Yu Ting was also suspended from the World Championships. The amount involved is not known.

Italian woman defends Khelif

After the fight, Carini herself expressed her incomprehension about the fuss surrounding Khelif. “If the IOC thinks she can fight, I respect that decision,” the 25-year-old told the “Gazzetta dello Sport”. She tried to block out the discussion. “These controversies definitely made me sad and I feel sorry for my opponent, who is only here to fight.”

Following the suspension of the IBA, the International Olympic Committee is responsible for organizing the boxing tournament in Paris, just as it was three years earlier in Tokyo. An association partner at international level must be found by the beginning of next year if boxing is to be an Olympic sport at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. As of now, this is not the case.

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In November, the new World Boxing Association was founded in Frankfurt/Main and is hoping to receive approval from the IOC soon. “We now have 38 member associations and the number is growing every week. We need between 60 and 70 for approval from the IOC. That can be done by September,” said Secretary General Simon Toulson on ZDF.