Imane Khelif will continue her pursuit as an Olympian. She is not intimidated by Donald Trump’s executive order ruling transgender out women’s sport.
“The U.S. president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender,” Khelif said in an interview with British broadcaster ITV that aired Wednesday.
Trump signed the order on February 5, which said, It shall also be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”
“This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me,” Khelif said. “That is my response.”
Khelif’s run to Paris 2024 gold medal was questioned due to her gender eligibility. But International Olympic Committee (IOC) backed her to compete in the event.
IOC ran the boxing events in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 after the IBA was suspended in 2019 and expelled in 2023.
The governing body of boxing, recently, gave World Boxing provision recognition to run the sport internationally. The IOC executive board, on Monday, recommended the sport to LA 2028 Olympic program.
In the interview Khelif said, ‘IBA is a thing of the past’ and ‘it lacks credibility’.
“As we say in Algeria, those who have nothing to hide should have no fear,” she said. “The truth became clear at the Paris Olympics — the injustice was exposed, and later, the truth was acknowledged by the Olympic Committee in Paris.”
Talking about the controversy which broke out in Paris 2024, she said, “Even my mother was deeply affected — she was going to the hospital almost every day,” Khelif said. “My relatives were also impacted, and the entire Algerian people felt the weight of the situation. This went beyond just a sporting issue or a game; it escalated into a major media campaign that could have had a severe negative effect on me, my family, and my psychological well-being.”
She said being an Olympic champion as a Muslim woman in an Arab nation “is something truly special.”
“I believe the inspiration from the Paris Olympics has grown, and many young people now feel motivated and want to enter this field, boxing. From my side, I want to give them all the encouragement they need.”
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