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‘Imane Khelif is a man’: Boxer Joana Nwamerue claims she has record of everything against ‘biologically altered’ athlete

Bulgarian-Nigerian female boxer Joana Nwamerue's remarks against Imane Khelif came after she faced huge outcry over her gender eligibility at Olympics.

Published on: Aug 13, 2024 10:16 pm IST
By Shweta Kukreti
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Imane Khelif shut all her critics after winning the gold medal at Paris Olympics amid the gender row. While world leaders like US former President Donald Trump and Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni questioned her status at the 2024 games, Khelif received a heroic welcome in Algeria on Monday after her arrival with a gold medal.

While Imane Khelif declared that she is the Olympic gold medalist, who was “born as a woman and who lives as a woman," Bulgarian-Nigerian women's boxer Joana Nwamerue issued a bizarre statement against her.(AP/Insta)

Before the Algerian boxer could express her joy in her home country, the Olympic gold medalist was called “a man” by her former training opponent, who also made a bizarre statement that she has been “biologically altered” by living in highlands.

Nwamerue stated that she saw the Khelif's “male power and male techniques” during a practice in February.

Claiming that the Olympic champion is dealing with some “internal” problems, the Bulgarian-Nigerian women's boxer went on to say, “But he is a man. I will stay [by] my words until he/she does a test to prove to the world that he/she is a woman. But we all know that won't happen.”

She further recalled that she played probably three or four sparring sessions with Khelif. “I have a record of everything. I can confirm that this is a man to me. Male power. Men's techniques, everything,” she told Reduxx.

Nwamerue alleged that Khelif's coaching team told her that “Imane is not a man.”

“She is a woman and just lives high in the mountains with her relatives and parents and so there may be a change in her testosterone or chromosomes and the like.”

Khelif is not transgender since she was born a woman. However, she was suspended from a boxing championship last year following medical testing conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) that revealed she had elevated testosterone levels in her body.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti

Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
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