Paris Olympic gold medallist Imane Khelif has come under immense scrutiny once again after leaked medical reports have ‘confirmed’ the boxer as a male and questioned her eligibility for female competition. The report, accessed by French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia, points out that Khelif has a condition that impacts sexual development, often resulting in ambiguous genitalia and limiting secondary male characteristics.
The report further states that Khelif had internal testicles and an XY chromosome makeup, which may signal a genetic condition, described as 5-alpha reductase deficiency.
Khelif made heads turn by participating in the 66kg category at the Paris Olympics due to her condition as a hyperandrogenic woman. This led to massive debates online with many raising fingers at the athlete’s participation in the women’s category. The gender row came into light at the Games when Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew following a series of blows from the Algerian. Khelif had, notably, failed a gender eligibility test at the 2023 World Championships as well.
Despite all the hullabaloo, Khelif ended with gold in her category, becoming the first woman from her country to achieve this feat. By then, the Algerian had received massive criticism from the world of sports, including negative reactions from celebrities as well.
Coming back to the report, it pointed out the absence of a uterus and the presence of a micropenis in Khelif’s case. In addition, it recommended surgical correction and hormone therapy, aimed at aligning the Algerian boxer’s physical traits with the boxer’s self-perceived gender identity.
Khelif has always maintained that she is right in participating in the women’s category, asserting that she is a female. Responding to earlier controversies, the boxer claimed, “I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.”
IBA blasts IOC President
The International Boxing Association (IBA) blasted International Olympics Committee (IOC) President Bach to ‘kneel and apologise’ to the women boxers who have been ‘beaten and abused’ by Khelif following the recent revelations.