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Rabat – Algerian gold-medalist champion Imane Khelif is at the center of a feud after the International Boxing Association (IBA) launched legal action against the Olympic Committee (IOC). The IBA claims she should not have been allowed to fight as a woman at the Paris 2024 Olympics, insinuating the claim that she is transgender.
Khelif, who won Olympic gold in the 66kg category, has always competed in women’s boxing. But the IBA insists she is not eligible, arguing that tests showed “anomalies” in her chromosomes. The IOC strongly defends her, asserting that she is in fact a woman – she was born female and officially registered female.
The controversy exploded after the IBA, which was banned from organizing Olympic boxing, said it had previously barred Khelif from the 2023 World Championships. The organization claims she has XY chromosomes, which they argue is proof she should not compete against women.
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Now, the IBA is taking the fight to court. The group has filed a complaint in Switzerland and is preparing legal action in France and the US. The move comes just days after US President Donald Trump signed a law restricting trans athletes in women’s sports, which the IBA says supports their stance.
Khelif’s case has divided the sports world. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called her fight against Italian boxer Angela Carini “unfair.” The IBA even announced it would reward Carini as if she had won the match.
But Khelif’s supporters say she is being unfairly targeted. The IOC stands by her, while many argue she followed all the rules and earned her Olympic gold-medal win.
As legal battles rages on, one thing is certain—Imane Khelif’s fight is far from over.
