Who is Imane Khelif? All you need to know about controversial Algerian boxer

New Delhi: Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer is buzzing around social media with her recent controversial match against Angela Carini on August 1 in the Paris Olympics. She was participating in her second consecutive Olympics, Khelif came into the limelight when she was fighting her first fight in the Paris Olympics and knocked out Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds, controversy erupted after the match when Carini said ‘never felt punch like this’.

Last year, Khelif was disqualified from the women’s World Championships in New Delhi for failing her gender eligibility tests and found some male chromosomes. But this time International Olympic Committee (IOC) changed the rules, that if the athlete’s gender is female in her passport then she can compete in the female category.

Who is Imane Khelif?

Imane Khelif is a 25-year-old Algerian boxer. Her professional career started in 2018 when she was just 19 years old competing in the World Championships and finishing in 17th position but later in the next year she became an improved fighter and finished in the Top seven in the 2019 World Championships. She also competed in the Tokyo Olympics and was knocked out in the quarter-finals. Khelif’s father didn’t support her in his boxing career but she wanted to encourage the next generation by winning Olympic glory at the highest level.

Imane Khelif medals cabinet

Khelif had four gold medals and one silver medal in her professional career, she won her first medal in the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships where she won the silver medal, after that she won four Gold medals in the Mediterranean Games, the Arab Games, and the African Amateur Boxing Championships.

Khelif’s medals cabinet:

Harbhajan Singh reacts to Khelif’s controversy:

Harbhajan Singh reacted to the recent controversy and called this as ‘Darkest day of the Olympics’, he further demanded the Olympics review the match and it was all unfair to the Italian boxer. Khelif knocked out Carini in just 46 seconds and said she ‘never felt punch like this’ in her life. Khelif was also disqualified from earlier Championships because of the male chromosomes in her body and fans are demanding to review of this incident.

This is UNFAIR in my view 👎 @Olympics Needs to review this incident / match pic.twitter.com/daAqjkNEHQ

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) August 1, 2024

 Imane Khelif is an Algerian boxer who recently came into the limelight after she knocked out Angela Carini in just 46 seconds and after her win massive controversy erupted as she was found as ‘biological male’.  Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today