gender controversy | paris olympic gender controversy latest update boxing KHELIF Imane Angela Carini | Italian female boxer withdraws from the match in 46 seconds: She was facing an Algerian boxer who failed the gender test, debate on social media – why was a man fielded

A controversy has erupted over a women’s boxing match at the Paris Olympics. This match was taking place on Thursday between Italy’s Angela Carini and Algeria’s Iman Khalif.

Angela withdrew from the match in just 46 seconds and Iman was declared the winner. Angela said, “I have never received such a punch. I am not a judge here. It is not my job to decide whether this match was right or wrong.”

In fact, Iman, in front of whom Angela withdrew from the match, had failed the gender test by the International Boxing Association (IBA) a year ago. IBA had not allowed Iman to play in the gold medal match of the Women’s World Championship held in Delhi last year.

Now after Iman won her first match in the Olympics, questions are being raised on social media as to why a man was fielded against a woman in the ring. IBA has also questioned the International Olympic Committee (IOC). IBA said that the IOC is violating the rules. Justice and security of women players have been ignored.

On this, the IOC issued a statement saying that we have allowed the players to play as per the rules set by the PBU (Paris 2024 Boxing Unit). Let us understand the whole controversy in questions and answers…

Iman Khalif of Algeria during her fight against Angela Carini of Italy.

After leaving the match, Carini even refused to shake hands with Khalif and cried in the ring before leaving.

Iman Khalifa was disqualified just before the gold match of the World Championship-2023.

1. What happened during the women’s boxing match?
The Round of 16 match in the Women’s 66kg category was between Angela and Iman. Angela entered the ring and Iman’s first punch broke the chain of her head safety gear. Her nose started bleeding in the second punch. After this, Angela went out of the ring. The entire match lasted only 46 seconds.

2. What did the female boxer who withdrew from the match say?
Angela said- I have never received a punch like that. My heart is broken. I am a warrior, I entered the ring to honor my father, but I felt it necessary to withdraw from the match to protect my health. It is not my job to decide whether this match was right or wrong. I just did my job. I entered the ring, but my nose was in so much pain that I decided to withdraw. Despite so much experience, I am saying that I have never received such a strong punch in my life.

3. What is the case of Iman Khalifa and gender test?
Even before Iman and Angela’s match, the Olympic Committee was surrounded by questions. Iman Khalifa and Chinese Taipei boxer Lin Yu Ting were declared invalid by the IBA for failing the gender test in 2023.

International Amateur Boxing President Umar Kremlev told The Guardian, ‘The gender test proved that Iman has XY chromosomes, which are found in men. That is why she was banned. Iman had also appealed in the court, but withdrew her appeal during the process.’

4. What has the Olympic Committee said on gender test?
International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said, “All the players have fulfilled the eligibility rules. There is no transgender issue here. Lin and Iman’s passports are marked as female.”

5. What is the debate going on about Iman-Angela match?
After the match, Australia’s boxing captain Caitlin Parker said that our boxers will also participate in the same category in which Iman Khalifa is playing. It is not right that Iman is being allowed to play. I do not agree with the Olympic Committee. Such players should not be allowed to play. Especially in a sport like boxing, this can be very dangerous.

People on social media are questioning why a man was allowed to enter a woman’s ring. One user wrote, ‘A man punched a woman in front of the whole world. The world is behaving like a person whose neighbor beat his wife and he did not help.’

One user wrote, ‘Iman Khalifa, who claims to be a woman, has failed the gender test.’

Another wrote, ‘Iman Khalifa is one of the 2 male boxers who are playing in the Olympics. A woman could have lost her life.’

6. What is gender test?
In sports, gender test is done to test the gender of a player. In this, the level of male hormones in an athlete is detected. If the level of male hormones in the concerned athlete is more than the prescribed amount, then he is barred from participating in the competition.