Paris Olympics: Gender-row hit boxer Khelif aims at Gold

Paris, Aug 5:  She has been in the centre of  a gender controversy in Paris Olympics 2024. 

But after being defended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), she continued to win her bouts. The latest quarterfinal win has assured of a medal finish.

Elated with her feat, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif stated that she aims at winning the Gold medal and put the gender row to rest.

Also Read: Gender Row: Dutee backs boxer Khelif, opponent apologises

After defeating Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori in the Women's Welterweight Boxing event's quarter-final, Khelif turned emotional. She broke down and was seen roaring with delight, once her win assured her a medal finish.

Can she win the Gold? Well, she hopes so and wants to put the gender issue to rest. 

But despite the IOC giving her a clean-chit, she continues to hog the limelight in the social networking sites for her gender issues.

Also Read: Paris Olympics: China tops medal tally, India at 59th spot

She was in the spotlight after her match against Italy's Angela Carini. Unable to bear the pain after being punched on face by Khelif, the Italian called off the match in only 46 seconds. 

Reacting on the issue, Netizens questioned the IOC for letting Khelif compete in the event despite being disqualified from the World Championships last year due to gender eligibility issue.

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But she got a respite as the IOC defended her participation, emphasizing the right to non-discriminatory access to sport. 

Further, the IOC clarified that all Olympic boxers, including Khelif, met the required eligibility standards. The IOC also stated that it does not recognize the IBA's disqualification of Khelif. But that was not all. Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting, labelled the IBA's actions as 'sudden and arbitrary.'

Also Read: Paris Olympics: Boxer Nikhat Zareen bows out

Interestingly, the IOC has not only criticized the IBA for its lack of due process and transparency regarding Khelif's test results, but also issued an warning that boxing could be excluded from the 2028 Olympics if the situation remains unresolved.