Imane Khelif praised after issuing first statement since Olympic boxing ban
Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif has been praised after she issued a statement following her ban from World Boxing events.
The 26-year-old Algerian has been handed an indefinite ban less than a year after claiming Olympic gold in the women's welterweight category. She made headlines in Paris after a debate emerged over her gender.
A year prior to the games, Khelif, alongside Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting allegedly failed the International Boxing Association's (IBA) gender eligibility guidelines.
But she was cleared to compete at the games in Paris by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who stripped the IBA of its role as boxing's amateur global governing body 2023 due to concerns over how it was ran.
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The IOC said competitors were allowed to compete in the women's division if their passports said they were female.
But Khelif has now banned from competing in all World Boxing events, unless she can provide proof of being a biological woman - a test she has not submitted to in the past nine months.
Khelif issued her first statement since the ban, as she took to Instagram on the 'Global Day of Parents' to say thank you to her parents.
She said: "Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago! When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big.
"When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me. Being a parent isn’t easy. There’s no manual.
"But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything. On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you."
And she received an outpouring of support in the comments section.
@imaniek24 said: "Your parents did a wonderful job raising a gem like you, you make them proud and you make us proud too. May your shining star never dim."
@grandiosa.imane wrote: "So proud of you dear Imane!! The kids have a wonderful and inspiring ambassador in you."
@imanestan10 added: "Bravo to Imane's mother and father. And Imane, we stand with you today and always. Love you champion."
World Boxing's Official Statement said the introduction of mandatory testing will be one aspect of a new policy on 'sex, age and weight,' aimed at ensuring the safety and competitiveness of the sport is maintained.
The national federations will be responsible for administering the tests and providing the results to World Boxing.
The statement added: "Imane Khelif may not compete in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or in any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic screening in accordance with World Boxing’s rules and testing procedures."
Khelif has repeatedly stated that she is a women and contests the previous findings of the IBA.
James Taylor