After her Olympic achievement, Iman Khalifa: “I avoided the shock of sexual eligibility in this way”

In statements to beIN Sports, Khalifa said after the end of the fight: “I am proud of this new achievement in this match. I gave everything I had, I gave everything I had to go to the final. I am proud of my performance and the performance of my coaches. I worked for years until the dream became a reality. I will focus and I will be up to the responsibility in the dream final.”

Asked about how she overcame the fierce campaign against her on the grounds of “sexual ineligibility” at the start of her Olympic competition, she explained that the International Olympic Committee had allocated a team to care for and support her.

She explained: “There is a special team from the International Olympic Committee to take care of me and do their duty, so that I avoid the shock. Thank God, I am focusing on the competition and other things do not matter. The important thing is that I am in the final. God willing, it will be the dream final.”

Iman concluded: “My special greetings to my mother, thanks to my father, my entire family, my entire village, Algeria and the entire Arab world. God willing, I will make them happy. I did not believe my coach when he told me that the hall was full tonight to support me, but I saw it with my own eyes when I went out to fight. I did not believe myself. Thanks to everyone.”

Iman’s participation in the Olympic Games witnessed a great deal of controversy, on the grounds that she was sexually ineligible to participate in the women’s competition, specifically before facing Angela Carini in the round of 16, as the Italian side claimed that she had undergone a “sex change” operation and that she was not fit to face women.

These allegations were supported by the International Boxing Federation, which had previously already excluded the Algerian from participating in the 2023 World Cup.

But Khalif received strong support from the International Olympic Committee, which issued a strongly worded statement warning the boxing federation against promoting such allegations, stressing that Iman is completely female without any surgical intervention, and accusing it of defamation and distorting her sports career.

Next Friday, Iman Khalifa will play the long-awaited final match against Chinese Yang Li.

Source: “Media”