Picture Credit: X
Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif on Saturday, August 10 won her maiden Olympic gold in the women’s 66kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Algerian woman to win an Olympic gold in boxing. The boxer, who was succumbed to controversy over gender row has now decided to file a complaint after being a victim of online harassment.
However, after her gold medal win, she revealed that she has been a woman always, she aims to fight a new battle in the courtroom. “All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world,” Khelif said on Saturday after her victory.
“The boxer Imane Kheif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour,” Nabil Boudi, Khelif’s lawyer said in a statement, adding that Khelif had filed the complaint for “aggravated online harassment” to Paris prosecutors. The complaint was notably filed on Friday, after the outcry began from her first fight at the Summer Games against Italy’s Angela Carini.
It is to be noted that the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting began after the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified them from the World Boxing Championship in 2023 due to XY chromosomes presence. However, IBA was stripped off its status, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took over the charge and accepted the two boxers as eligible to contest after series of tests.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting wins gold after beating Poland’s Julia Szeremeta
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-tin, on Saturday, August 10 cruised past her Polish opponent to clinch historic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Taiwan boxer, who was amid the gender row with Algeria’s Imane Khelif defeated her Polish opponent in a unanimous decision point.
However, the 28-year-old was initially composed, but broke down in tears as she stood at the podium. “As an elite athlete it is important to shut myself off from social media and focus. Some of the noise and news of course I heard through my coach, but I did not pay much attention,” she added.
