Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is preparing to return to competition in December against undefeated Dutch fighter Clarida Sarabi in Paris, following a dispute over eligibility rules and gender identity that began at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
At the Paris Games, Khelif claimed the gold medal in the 66-kilogram division. The tournament drew intense global scrutiny after Italian opponent Angela Carini abandoned their bout after taking a single punch to the face, sparking widespread debate across political and cultural spheres regarding eligibility in women’s sports.
False reports circulated during the event claiming Khelif was a biological man or had undergone transition. The International Olympic Committee subsequently clarified that the Algerian athlete was born female, is registered as female, and carries a female passport.
“This goes beyond the IOC and those who set the rules. It’s a parody and a mockery of all Olympic sports,” tennis legend Martina Navratilova wrote on social media during the Paris Games, criticizing the inclusion criteria.
Following the Olympics, World Boxing barred Khelif from competing in the women’s category without passing a mandatory genetic test, a rule the boxer challenged through the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Navratilova welcomed those regulations, stating they would prevent Khelif from continuing to hit women in the ring, according to the Spanish daily Marca.
Shame on all the people , mostly men, for enabling this travesty. It’s a total joke https://t.co/2nTptdfZQc
Ahead of her scheduled professional return under a license from the French Boxing Federation, Khelif addressed her biological identity in an interview with the French sports daily L’Equipe, acknowledging she possesses the SRY gene typically found on the Y chromosome.
“The decision is up to doctors and professors. We all have different genetics, different hormone levels. I’m not trans. My difference is natural. I am who I am. I did nothing to change how nature made me,” Khelif told L’Equipe.
Khelif added that she underwent hormone treatment to lower testosterone levels for competition, emphasizing her upbringing as a girl. Navratilova renewed her criticism on the social media platform X following the licensing announcement.
“Shame on all the people, mostly men, who enabled this farce. It is a complete mockery,” Navratilova wrote.
“The rules that allow this are created mostly by men. The problem is that men are entering spaces reserved for women. Imane is a biological male. Period,” Navratilova said.
Navratilova defended her terminology against online critics during the Olympics, pointing to differences of sex development rather than transgender identity.
“Nobody is saying Imane is trans. Read up on DSD and then come back,” Navratilova wrote during the Paris Games, highlighting a long-standing opposition to the inclusion of athletes with certain biological traits in female sport categories.
Khelif was slated to make her professional debut in April, but a shoulder injury delayed the appearance. Her bout against Sarabi is now targeted for December in Paris.
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