Khelif to fight for gold: Algerian boxer in Olympics gender row enters final

Imane Khelif is one win away from achieving her dream in Paris. Embroiled in a major gender controversy at the Paris Olympics 2024, Khelif of Algeria advanced to the final of the women’s boxing event on Tuesday night. The Algerian boxer won her semi-final bout to guarantee Algeria a silver medal in front of a screaming Roland Garros crowd that was busy chanting her name throughout the fight.
Khelif outclassed Thailand’s 2023 world silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng in a unanimous points decision to enter her name into the final of the women’s 66kg category. The summit clash of the women’s boxing tournament in Paris will be contested on Friday. “I am like all athletes, I am here to achieve my dream,” Khelif told AFP after her impressive win over Janjaem.
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Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting have been in the eye of a storm over the boxers’ eligibility at the Paris Games. Lin Yu-ting is also taking home at least a bronze medal from a different weight category at the Paris Games. Interestingly, there was no controversy when Khelif and Lin fought at the Tokyo Olympics. Neither won a medal at the time.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu and 25-year-old Khelif were disqualified from last year’s world championships after failing gender eligibility tests. However, the duo was cleared to feature in the boxing events at the Paris Games 2024. When Khelif arrived at the Roland-Garros for her bout, the Algerina boxer received the biggest roar of the night.
Many Algerian fans welcomed the champion boxer with the nation’s flags at the famous venue. Chants of “Imane, Imane” rang out repeatedly in the build-up to the boxing semi-finals. With a clear height disadvantage, the Thai Janjaem bagged a standing count in the third round as the Algerian dominated the bout. The two boxers greeted each other warmly and shook hands after the bout at the 15,000-seated Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“I am focusing on the competition and other things are not important. The important thing is that I am in the final now,” Khelif told BeIN Sports. “I am very proud of this new achievement. I gave everything I had. We worked as a team for years and the dream has become a reality. I hope to focus and be up to the responsibility in the dream final.”