Algerian boxer Imane Khelif found herself at the center of a controversy after one of her opponents, Angela Carini of Italy, chose to walk away from their fight at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite the fact that Imane was born female and identifies as a woman, many have been up in arms about her participation in the Olympics, and now, her father is speaking out about the situation — and about what an "honor" it is to have her as his daughter.
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On August 1, Khelif's boxing match against Carini quickly (and unexpectedly) came to an end when the Italian boxer decided to exit the ring early, later claiming that she couldn't continue the fight after suffering "a severe pain" in her nose.
This meant that Khelif was automatically the winner. But since she was disqualified from the 2023 world championships of boxing after a test measured elevated levels of testosterone in her body, some people claimed she shouldn't be allowed to fight against other women.
Now, Khelif's father is speaking out in defense of his 25-year-old daughter.
In an interview with Reuters, Khelif's father, Amar Khelif, said he felt "honored" by his daughter.
"Having such a daughter is an honor because she is a champion, she honored me and I encourage her and I hope she will get the medal in Paris," he told the outlet. "Imane is a little girl that has loved sport since she was 6 years old."
He also went on to share what Reuters described as an "official-looking document."
"This is our family official document, May 2, 1999, Imane Khelif, female. It is written here you can read it, this document doesn't lie," he said.
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In light of the controversy, Carini publicly apologized to Khelif on August 2 when talking to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, per CNN.
"I’m sorry for my opponent. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision," Carini said. "It wasn’t something I intended to do. Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke."
Meanwhile, Khelif herself broke her silence, asking the world to "refrain from bullying all athletes" while talking to SNTV.
"It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying," she said.
