A few months after winning a gold medal in the Olympics in Paris, Imane Khelif announced her intention to pursue a career as a professional boxer.
After been previously disqualified from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to gender eligibility tests, the Algerian sensation encountered a flurry of controversy during her Olympic voyage. Notably, no indisputable proof has been offered for this issue.
Khelif, who is only 25 years old, became the focus of controversy as the Games went on in addition to making history by defeating Yang Liu 5-0 in the women’s 66kg boxing division to win Algeria’s first female boxing gold.
After less than a minute, Angela Carini abruptly left their fight, clearly upset and skipping the traditional handshake after the fight, though she later apologized for the resulting controversy.
In August, when the Olympics were overshadowed by widespread rumors about her gender, an emotionally damaged Khelif revealed the magnitude of the hate directed at her.
Following her victory in Paris, the Algerian athlete is now focusing on a new goal in the ring: turning professional. Speaking to the media on Sunday, she announced, “I would like to hold a press conference today to share with you my success story with the media family and young women who watch me.
