- Imane Khelif’s ‘best friend’ gatecrashed a press conference to defend her
- The IBA held a chaotic press conference to explain why they banned Khelif
- Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA
Imane Khelif’s team-mate gatecrashed the press conference hosted by the International Boxing Association to defend her ‘best friend’ on Monday.
The boxer has been in the eye of a storm this Olympic Games, insisting she is a woman after the IBA disqualified her from last year’s World Championships.
Umar Kremlev, the IBA’s Russian chief, has repeated that Khelif and Taiwan‘s Lin Yu-ting are ‘men’ but the organisation – which has been discredited by the International Olympic Committee – has never divulged their test results.
A shambolic two-hour press conference revealed few answers while Kremlev’s translator struggled to keep up with his rant and the BBC walked out in protest.
Part-way through the meeting, two members of Algeria’s Olympic team – including boxer Roumaysa Boualam – came in to protest.
Imane Khelif’s Algerian team-mate Roumaysa Boualam gatecrashed the IBA’s press conference to defend her friend
Khelif, who was registered female at birth, has been at the heart of a gender row after the IBA disqualified her from the World Championships last year
The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a bizarre press conference on Monday where they further called into question the eligibility of two female boxers at the Olympics
‘Every person portrayed like that would feel angry and frustrated,’ she said. ‘Imane is really strong. She’s my friend.
‘I want to support my country and the truth and my friend.’
She confirmed that she had spoken to Khelif but would not give further details.
Sky Sports News senior reporter Geraint Hughes claimed Boualam – who was knocked out of the 50kg category – is Khelif’s ‘best friend’.
‘Towards the end of the press conference it became evident that two members of the Algerian Olympic delegation, two women, had made it into the room. They began demonstrating. They removed some outer garments of their clothing, a jacket, and revealed they were wearing Algerian tops. They were waving a flag.
‘She (Boualam) spoke passionately about Khelif being a girl at birth, registered as a girl, growing up as a girl and growing up as a woman, how she is absolutely entitled to be boxing in Paris and that she is a hero and a champion,’ he said.
Khelif was cleared to fight in the Olympics with IOC president Thomas Bach defending her inclusion.
After beating Hungary’s Luca Hamori to at least guarantee herself a medal, Khelif broke down in tears and later said: ‘I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects.
Khelif and Lin Yu-ting (pictured) were disqualified at the World Championships last year after the IBA claimed they had failed gender eligibility tests, but the IOC admitted them to Paris
IBA president Umar Kremlev launched an astonishing rant about the opening ceremony
Chris Roberts, the IBA CEO, explained how both boxers were deemed ‘ineligible’ after tests
Kremlev repeated his criticism of IOC chief Thomas Bach (pictured) as a ‘chief sodomite’
Father Omar Khelif (left) has produced evidence that Imane was registered as a female at birth
‘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.’
‘I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply,’ she said. ‘They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.’
Khelif started her Olympic run last Thursday with a victory over Angela Carini of Italy, who abandoned the bout after just 46 seconds. Carini later said she regretted her decision and wished to apologise to Khelif.
Algeria’s Olympic Committee has also hit out at the IBA, saying: ‘Algeria is not a member of the IBA. We do not recognise the IBA as a legitimate institution, and it has no connection with the Olympic Games.
‘Our champion, Imane Khelif, remains untouched and undeterred by the baseless claims of the IBA.’
Her father, Omar Khelif, told French broadcaster BFM TV: ‘My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl.
‘She is a strong girl. I raised her to work and be brave.’
He also produced an official Algerian registration document showing her date of birth and that she was registered as a female as a baby.
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