Imane Khelif has issued a heartfelt plea in her first interview following the Olympics gender row as she admitted people’s words can have ‘massive effects’.

It comes after the Algerian, 25, was disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi amid claims from the International Boxing Association that she was not able to meet their unspecified eligibility criteria. Though she is one of the two athletes, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, cleared to compete in the women’s boxing at Paris Olympic Games.

The International Boxing Association was permanently banned from the Olympics last year.
Khelif, who was born and raised as a girl, faced Italy’s Angela Carini in the Olympics round of 16 match on Thursday (1 August), when the opponent decided to abandon the match after 46 seconds.
Carini signalled that she was unable to carry on due to pain in her nose, according to her coach. And on Saturday (3 August), Khelif won her second women’s 66kg match against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the quarter-final via unanimous decision.

Now, in her first interview since the controversy, the Olympic boxer says she wants people to ‘refrain from bullying all athletes’ amid backlash online. In an sit-down chat with SNTV on Sunday (4 August), she said in Arabic: “I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects. It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying. ”

“I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply. They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.”

The athlete said she was grateful for the International Olympic Committee for letting her compete, which wasn’t the case with the International Boxing Association. “I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice, and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth, I don’t care about anyone’s opinion,” Khelif said.

“I came here for a medal, and to compete for a medal. I will certainly be competing to improve (and) be better, and God willing, I will improve, like every other athlete.”

Days after the controversy, Italian boxer Carini admitted that she wanted to apologise for her behaviour.
“All this controversy makes me sad,” she told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision. It wasn’t something I intended to do.”

Featured image: @imane_khelif_10 on Instagram