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Italy PM decries ‘unequal’ match, Trump vows to ‘keep men out’ as Imane Khelif's win sparks gender row at Olympics
The one-sided bout sparked an immediate reaction from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the fight was “not on an equal footing”.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's 46-second win against Italy's Angela Carini at the Paris Olympics sparked a furious debate on gender eligibility rules, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni alleging that the fight was “not on an equal footing”.
"I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions," Meloni said during a meeting with Italian athletes in Paris.
In a post on X, Meloni wrote, “I know that you won't give up Angela, and I know that one day you will get what you deserve through strength and sweat. In a competition that is finally equal.”
Also Read: How IOC shielded Khelif and why boxers allowed to compete after failed sex tests
Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships – organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA) – after they failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women's competition.
"The athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential," the IBA said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The urgent nature of the decision (to disqualify the boxers) was justified, as the safety of our boxers is our top priority."
The International Olympic Committee, however, deemed Khelif eligible to box in the women's competition in Paris and later defended the decision calling the IBA's move arbitrary.
"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA," the IOC said in a statement. "Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
Carini retired hurt and shrugged off attempts by Khelif to shake her hand after a barrage of punches by the Algerian. The Italian boxer collapsed to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably in the middle of the ring, triggering a huge outrage online.
Former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social network: "I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS!"
Tennis great Martina Navratilova described the situation as "deplorable", alleging that Khelif was a "biological man".
Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, wrote on X that Carini "and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex".
