IOC president Thomas Bach has weighed in on the debate over Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting by saying they have every right to compete at the Paris Olympics despite being disqualified at last year’s World Championships.
The controversial duo were banned from competing last year by the International Boxing Association’s eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosones from competing in women’s events.
“We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said on Saturday.
“We have two boxers who were born as women, raised as women, who have passports as women and who have competed for many years as women and this is a clear definition of a woman.
“There was never any doubt about them being women.”
Italian boxer Angela Carini has gained widespread support from outraged sports fans after quitting her Olympics fight against Khelif.
Carini took a punch to the face after 30 seconds and immediately went to her corner to have her headgear adjusted. She returned to the fight briefly before returning to her corner and conceding their quarter-final of the 66kg division.
After the Algerian was announced as the winner, the Italian, who was in tears, refused to shake hands. She yelled “this is unjust”.
She later said she wanted to apologise to Khelif. “It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini said of abandoning the fight. “Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.”
Khelif has subsequently ensured Algeria’s first Olympic boxing medal since 2000 after beating Hungary’s Luca Anna Hamori by a unanimous decision in their welterweight quarter-final on Sunday morning (AEST).
“It’s a battle. It’s for my dignity,” the 25-year-old said after her victory over Hamori.
Her beaten opponent did not express any resentment. “I think it was a good fight. I wish good luck to my opponent and to the others in the semi-finals,” Hamori said.
Lin Yu-ting faces Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva in their featherweight quarter-final at 7pm (AEST) on Sunday.
Neither boxer at the centre of the furore identifies as transgender.
The IOC is furious at the likes of Harry Potter author JK Rowling and controversial business mogul Elon Musk for fanning the flames of the gender debate on social media.
The IBA has pledged to give Carini $50,000 as consolation prize money for her Olympic loss but Bach said that payment was part of a defamation campaign.
“I would ask everybody to respect these women, to respect them as women and as human beings,” Bach said.
“When you speak about human rights then you have the human right of every woman to participate in a women’s competition.
“Boxing is one of the most global sports, a sport with very high social values. In any country, many boxers tend to come from underprivileged parts of society and boxing offers them many opportunities not only on the field of play but also off the field of play.
“This why it is even more deplorable with what is happening with Imane on social media.
“Because she has made it very clear that she is standing for the rights of women in her country and boxing gives the opportunity to express herself and gives her the confidence to do so.”
The Roarhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2024/08/04/never-any-doubt-about-them-being-women-ioc-boss-bach-bites-back-at-jk-rowling-and-elon-musk-over-gender-debate/‘Never any doubt about them being women’: IOC boss Bach bites back at JK Rowling and Elon Musk over gender debate
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