A case is likely to cause a stir in the world of boxing. Algerian Imane Khelif, who was in the running for the final of the world amateur boxing championships in New Delhi in the under 66 kg category, indeed revealed on Saturday her disqualification due to “characteristics” preventing her from boxing with women. The International Boxing Federation (IBA) confirmed this exclusion on Saturday evening for non-compliance with the “eligibility criteria”, while specifying that medical secrecy prevents it from communicating the precise reasons for this decision.
“The IBA respects its rules and regulations as well as the personal and medical privacy of its athletes,” explains the Federation. The violation of the eligibility criteria cannot therefore be communicated by the IBA. Algerian media have reported that a hormonal test carried out on the 23-year-old boxer revealed too high a level of testosterone in her body.
“People conspired against Algeria”
“I unfortunately learned that I could not participate in the final. I was told that I had characteristics that mean that I cannot box with women,” the boxer said in a video posted on her Facebook page. “It’s a big conspiracy, she adds, without providing any evidence to support her statements. People conspired against Algeria so that our flag would not be hoisted and the gold medal would not go to them. »
In a message posted on Facebook, the Algerian Olympic Committee announces “that it will pay for the medical support of Imane Khelif and that it will support her preparations for the African qualifying tournament for the Paris-2024 Olympic Games, which will take place in Dakar in August 2023. He does not say more about the form that this “medical support” will take. Imane Khelif was replaced, for the final scheduled for this Sunday in India, by the Thai Janjaem Suwannapheng, whom she had beaten (5-0) in the semi-final on Friday.