Algerian wrestler Imane Khelif doesn’t care about any rumour concerning her gender, her uncle has revealed. Khelif’s participation at the Paris Olympics 2024 became a global debate after her bout against Angela Carini lasted just 46 seconds. The Italian boxer abandoned the match, which then led to a lot of misinformation about Khelif’s gender, with many including, author JK Rowling and tech billionaire Elon Musk, calling her male.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) put no ear to the controversy and let the Algerian talent continue competing at the event. Recently, her uncle Rachid Jabeur addressed the topic and confirmed that Khelif was “born female”.
As per a report by the BBC, a boxing coach first drew Khelif’s attention to the sport after he saw her playing with a few kids on the street. When Khelif started her training, her father was against it as it could lead to a big issue in her conservative village. Her uncle, who was staying in a city, then came to her rescue. Initially, Khelif used to sell scrap copper to cover the expenses of her boxing training.
“We welcomed her into our home in the city, Tiaret, where we cared for her with special meals and sports training. We supported and encouraged her as part of our family. I always told my sons to accompany her to and from training sessions to protect her,” Rachid Jabeur told BBC.
About the gender row at the Paris Olympics, he said, “She is always trying to overcome this bullying, and there are people around her who support her. She does not believe in defeat and does not care about these rumours.”
A few days ago, Thomas Bach, the President of the IOC, rubbished all of the claims of Imane Khelif being transgender or male. He said, “We are talking about women’s boxing. We have two boxers who were born as women, raised as women, who have passports as women and who have competed for many years as women and this is a clear definition of a woman.”
Amid the row, Imane Khelif has advanced to the final of the Paris Olympics. She triumphed over Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in the women’s 66kg semi-final. Khelif also competed at the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo but couldn’t win a medal.
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