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| Imane Khelif received a lot of backlash overnight after her opponent infamously abandoned their match. Reuters (file photo) |
TAGUIG—The International Olympic Committee aired its side of the story as to why controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was cleared to play in the Paris Olympics despite concerns regarding her eligibility.
In a statement on Friday, the IOC reiterated that "all athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit."
The organization also said that the details listed in the boxers' passports have been its basis for determining their gender and age.
Contrary to the ongoing furor among critics, the 25-year-old Khelif is female by sexual orientation but has a genetic condition called "differences of sexual development" in which she was revealed to have XY chromosomes, the dominant chromosomes among men, and a high level of testosterone that is uncommon for women.
Due to her condition, misconceptions arose that she is a transgender woman, and the speculations grew exponentially on Thursday when Khelif's women's 66-kilogram division battle against Italy's Angela Carini ended controversially.
Carini withdrew from the bout in just 46 seconds after she was apparently bloodied with a punch that tagged her nose, which despite wearing headgear due to the amateur rules is very uncommon in women's boxing.
Carini's camp had to fix her headgear twice during the bout, but the second time they were fixing it, she decided to call it a day.
Controversy already surrounded Khelif and Taiwanese pug Lin Yu-Ting before the entire Paris Olympics boxing event commenced as the International Boxing Association disqualified them from last year's world championships after reportedly failing a gender test, sparking the accusations that they are transgenders.
The IOC, though, believes that the IBA's decision lacked due process.
"The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure–especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years. Such an approach is contrary to good governance. Eligibility rules should not be changed during ongoing competition, and any rule change must follow appropriate processes and should be based on scientific evidence," the IOC said.
In response, the IBA, in a separate statement, lashed out at the IOC for "the inconsistencies in eligibility to compete in the boxing competition held in the Paris Olympic Games 2024."
"The IBA will never support any boxing bouts between the genders, as the organization puts the safety and well-being of our athletes first. We are protecting our women and their rights to compete in the ring against equal rivals, and we will defend and support them in all instances; their hopes and dreams must never be taken away by organizations unwilling to do the right thing under difficult circumstances. IBA stands by its position and will continue to support all athletes within the spirit of the rules," the boxing organization further said.
The IOC removed the IBA as the one sanctioning the Olympic boxing events before the 2021 Tokyo Games due to various issues, one of which is allegations of questionable judging.
The IOC has since formed an independent sanctioning body for the Tokyo and Paris Olympics as it looks to found a new international federation to replace the IBA as the recognized Olympic-style boxing organization before the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
IOC expresses concern for Imane Khelif, possible Nesthy Petecio foe
Meanwhile, the IOC consoles Khelif and Lin for the backlash they are getting, which has gone down to some bashers already hurling gender discrimination slurs at them.
"The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games as per 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," the IOC further said.
Lin, drawing a first-round bye as the top seed in the women's 57-kilogram division, makes her debut later Friday against Uzbekistan's Sitora Turdibekova in the round of 16.
Lin is in the same division as 2021 silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and she could be her biggest challenge in her "Walang hinto hangga't walang ginto" campaign.
Petecio will play France's Amina Zidani in another round of 16 battle.
The day later, Khelif battles Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary in the quarterfinals of the 66-kilogram division with the winner already assuring herself of leaving the North Paris Arena in Villepinte, France as a medalist.
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