Imane Khelif, the gold-winning boxer from Algeria, has condemned “false and offensive” accusations after the International Boxing Association (IBA) announced it would sue the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for her and another female athlete’s participation in the women’s boxing competition at the Olympic Games in Paris last year.
In a statement shared on social media on Tuesday, Khelif said that the IBA had “again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda.”
“This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport,” she stated.
Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who also won gold, were invited to the Olympic Games in Paris last year, and the IBA announced earlier this week that it would sue the IOC over this inclusion.
Credit: BBC
A Russian tycoon with ties to the Kremlin, Umar Kremlev, oversaw the IBA until its exclusion from the Olympic movement in 2019 due to ethical and financial issues.
The IOC thereupon arranged the boxing match in Paris.
Lin Yu-ting is not transsexual, and neither is Khelif. According to their passport registrations, both were born and raised as women.
However, the IBA declared they failed gender eligibility tests for having XY chromosomes, so they were disqualified from its 2023 world championships.
The IBA said in its statement announcing the lawsuit that it was in response to an executive order issued last week by US President Donald Trump that sought to exclude transgender athletes from playing women’s sports.
The IOC informed AFP that the IBA’s complaint was part of a “campaign against the IOC, which is ongoing since their recognition was withdrawn by the IOC for issues related to governance, judging, and refereeing as well as questions around their finances.”
Both of the fighters “were born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women’s category for their entire boxing careers,” it stated.
“They also competed in IBA World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments before they became victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA.”
According to Khelif’s statement, she “will pursue all available legal avenues to ensure that justice prevails.”
She stated, “I have witnessed hardship in the past.” “But I have never stayed down.”
She went on, “I am not going anywhere. I will fight in the ring, I will fight in the courts, and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable.”
