Imane Khelif fires back at Donald Trump as gender | Boxing News

Imane Khelif has vowed to defy US President Donald Trump and goal a place within the 2028 Olympics. The Algerian boxer received gold in her welterweight class in Paris final 12 months however did so amid waves of controversy and vitriol after wrongly being accused of being a transgender athlete.

In 2023, Khelif was disqualified from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA), a Russian-backed and now discredited world governing physique. They claimed that blood take a look at findings made her ineligible to compete in opposition to females however by no means offered any documented proof in regards to the outcomes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) later ruled that the checks weren’t credible and cleared Khelif to compete in France.

The 28-year-old will compete within the World Championships in Liverpool this 12 months however has already outlined her final purpose of defending her Olympic title in Los Angeles. Since returning to workplace, Trump has vowed to ban males from collaborating in ladies’s sports activities and has falsely implied that Khelif was born a male.

Khelif, nevertheless, just isn’t intimidated by the President. She instructed ITV Sport: “The US President issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response.”

Despite her defiance, Khelif conceded that the row that ensued during the Paris Olympics, which peaked after Italian boxer Angela Carini give up their bout in 46 seconds, affected her psychological well-being. Her mom additionally needed hospital therapy due to the stress of the ordeal.

“I was deeply affected mentally and felt discouraged, but I remained aware of what was happening,” continued Khelif. “Even during the Paris Olympics, I had a team of specialist doctors who provided me with support and assistance. Without their support, I might have fallen into a spiral of depression.”

The IBA stays unrecognised by Olympic organisers. However, Thomas Bach has now stepped away from his position as IOC President, and Khelif has urged his eventual substitute to “uphold the values of fair play” and accused critics of solely talking out when she received on a roll in Paris.

“I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one,” she continued. “I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships.

“All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”