Algeria’s Khelif wins women’s middleweight gold amid gender controversy

PARIS: Algeria’s Imane Khelif beat China’s Yang Liu to claim the gold medal in women’s middleweight boxing at the Olympics on Friday.

Khelif, a silver medalist at the 2022 World Championships, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been in the spotlight as part of a gender row in Paris that has dominated headlines and been the subject of much debate on social media platforms.

Khelif, who won by unanimous decision, is the first Algerian to win an Olympic boxing title and the first boxer from her country to claim gold since Hocine Soltani in Atlanta in 1996. Women’s boxing is at the Olympics from London in 2012.

“I’m very happy. This is my dream. Eight years, my dream. I’m an Olympian, a gold medalist. I’m very happy. Eight years, I’ve been working,” Khelif, 25, said.

“Eight years, no sleep. Eight years, tired. Now, I’m an Olympian. I’m very happy. I want to thank all the people who come to support me. The world, Algeria and the whole world, Paris.”

Bronze was awarded to Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand and Chen Nien-chin of Taiwan.

Khelief and two-time world champion Lin have been banned by the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the 2023 World Championships, with the body saying at a press conference during the Paris Games that a gender test had ruled them ineligible.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is using boxing eligibility rules in Paris that were implemented at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics and which do not include gender testing.

High intensity

The tension went up several notches to an ear-splitting level when Khelif entered the arena on Friday in her red trunk and shirt for the final match on a sweltering Parisian night.

With sweat from the boxers and fans swirling in the air, there was a tropical feel to the night, the only light breeze coming from the hundreds of waving flags.

“Imane, Imane, Imane!” shouted the crowd and screamed.

Yang must have felt lonely as the Chinese boxer was booed as she made her entrance.

Khelif, keeping her opponent at bay with her jab and taking control of the center of the ring, landed an early left hook, soon followed by a right as she looked to be in complete control.

He sent Yang to the ropes with a precise right hook early in the second round. Yang refused to back down but never found the right distance to threaten her opponent, who led a wave of support on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros.

The crowd cheered as Khelief’s corner carried her on their shoulders to the end of the stadium.

They roared even more when he jumped down and started shadow boxing towards the stands to the tune of ‘Abdelkader’, from the cult album ‘1,2,3 Soleil’ by three of the most famous French Algerian singers: Cheb Khaled, Rachid Taha and Faudel.

It really had looked as easy as ABC for Khelif as the Jackson Five song played over the speakers while the podium was built in the ring as he waited for another moment of celebration.

Helif and Lin are competing at the Games after the IOC stripped the IBA of its status as the sport’s governing body in 2023 and took control of the Paris boxing event.

The IOC rejected the results of the IBA-ordered gender tests as arbitrary and illegal, saying there was no reason to conduct them – a stance Human Rights Watch supported on Friday.