Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has announced her decision to enter the world of professional boxing. The 25-year-old Algerian athlete, who triumphed in the women’s 66kg category at the Paris Olympics, revealed her plans during a recent press conference.
Khelif’s announcement comes on the heels of a tumultuous summer marked by both success and controversy. Despite her impressive performance in the ring, the boxer found herself at the center of a heated debate regarding gender eligibility in sports.
The controversy traces back to Khelif’s disqualification from the World Championships last year by the International Boxing Association (IBA). Although born and identifying as female, Khelif reportedly did not meet the IBA’s gender eligibility criteria. However, she was later permitted to compete in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed the IBA as the governing body for the sport.
The legitimacy of these gender eligibility tests has since been called into question, with claims that some results may have been inaccurate. This has added another layer of complexity to an already contentious issue in the world of sports.
Undeterred by the controversy, Khelif is now setting her sights on a professional career. While she has not yet confirmed a date for her professional debut, the Olympic champion revealed that she has received offers from multiple promotions.
“I will soon enter the world of professional boxing,” Khelif stated. “I have many offers. Currently, I have not made up my mind about where I will enter professional boxing.”
The news of Khelif’s transition to professional boxing was further corroborated by boxing journalist Michael Benson, who shared the information on social media platform X.
As Khelif prepares to embark on this new chapter in her boxing career, the ongoing debate surrounding gender eligibility in sports continues to spark discussions among athletes, officials, and fans alike. The controversy has even drawn comments from prominent figures outside the boxing world, including podcast host Joe Rogan, who expressed strong opinions on the matter during one of his shows.
“[IOC are] not saying why they’re not legitimate. This is what gives me pause, when they just keep saying it’s not legitimate, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate. You have to say when you’re talking about a scientific test, that’s repeatable, right. So if you can test for XY chromosome versus XX chromosome, do it, tell me what the results are if you can test for testosterone, do it, tell me what the results are. And if one says XY and the other one says high levels of testosterone that’s not a woman, okay, sports-wise,” Rogan said on his podcast.
Rogan is saying what many are thinking – if Khelif has XY chromosomes and abnormally high testosterone, she should be barred from competing in the women’s category.
