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| Controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was declared the winner of her Thursday bout after her Italian opponent quit in just 46 seconds. Reuters |
MANILA--The Paris Olympics boxing event was met with controversy on Thursday after an Italian pugilist decided to withdraw from her bout against her Algerian opponent who has become a viral person for probably the wrong reason.
Just 46 seconds into her now controversial round of 16 match in the women's 66-kilogram division at the North Paris Arena, Angela Carini decided to concede against Imane Khelif.
The controversial sequence began at the 2:20 mark of the first round when Carini called for time for her team to fix her headgear.
However, after receiving another power punch from Khelif, Carini told the referee, Emerson Pastor, that she had had enough and quit.
Khelif, seeded fifth in the division, was declared the winner by abandonment and will move on to the quarterfinals where another win assures her of a medal.
As an act of protest, Carini refused to show a sign of sportsmanship to Khelif and just stormed out of the ring.
Khelif became controversial after the International Boxing Association disqualified her last year for failing a gender test, which oftentimes determines if a female pug is indeed female or transgender.
It was later revealed, though, that the 25-year-old boxer, although a straight woman, is diagnosed with a disorder of sex development, in which she has XY chromosomes and a level of blood testosterone too high for a female and is even considered "normal" for a male.
Islamic laws in Algeria bar citizens from having a gender identity different from their sexual orientation, especially undergoing sex change.
Khelif would have been punished by the law if the Algerian government found out that she was transgender.
The International Olympic Committee, which governs the Olympic boxing event for the second straight edition, ruled Khelif eligible for the competition to the dismay of people who are already concerned about allowing fighters who classify themselves as women but have male genetic characteristics.
Another boxer cleared to play in the Paris Olympics women's boxing event despite her own DSD concerns is Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-Ting, who could be standing in the way of the Philippines' Nesthy Petecio in her quest for gold.
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