Explained! The shocking ‘gender row’ boxing controversy that rocked Paris Olympics

New Delhi: August 1, Thursday will be remembered as a dark day in the world of sports. It was a day when all logics were defied and sanity took a backseat. In a never-seen-before incident that has shocked sports enthusiasts across the globe the Olympics boxing event featured a ‘biologically male’ boxer against a female in a 66 kg category bout.

It took just 46 seconds for Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to win the bout against Italy’s Angela Carini, who retired hurt after a thunderous punch badly hurt her nose. Although Carini remained on her feet, she withdrew from the match fearing for her well-being.

With blood on her shorts and tears in her eyes, Carini collapsed to her knees and cried inconsolably following the tragic end of her Olympic dream.

Explained: The controversy

Besides Khelif, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who fights on Friday at 57kg, is the other ‘biologically male’ boxer competing at the Paris 2024 Games.

Both boxers were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi run by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after failing to meet gender eligibility tests.

International Boxing Association president, Umar Kremlev, revealed that both boxers had undergone DNA tests that “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded”.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is running boxing in Paris because of governance, financial and ethical issues at the IBA, deemed both boxers eligible to box in the women’s competition in Paris.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams revealed the reason behind their decision “They are women in their passports and it’s stated in there that they are female”.

Despite the huge controversy on Thursday, the IOC reiterated that Khelif will return to the ring on Saturday.

Both boxers also competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

‘Deplorable’

The controversial bout sparked massive outrage with several renowned personalities across the world slamming the Olympic body for the farce.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the fight was “not on an equal footing.”

Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network: “I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!”

Harry Potter author JK Rowling tweeted that the Paris 2024 Olympics would be “forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini”.

Tennis icon Martina Navratilova deemed the situation as ‘deplorable.’

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 Paris 2024 Olympics: It took just two blows from Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to end Angela Carini ‘s Olympic dream and spark outrage across the globe.  Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today