Outrage Ignites Over Perceived Male Involvement in Women’s Olympic Boxing

The World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) Vice President for Europe, Istvan Kovacs, has stirred up a hornet’s nest by publicly stating that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a women’s boxing competitor, is biologically male. The comment was made during a discussion with Hungarian news platform Magyar Nemzet and has fueled a raging debate about the integrity of women’s sports.

Accusations and Apprehensions

Kovacs disclosed that he had raised alarm bells to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the involvement of males in women’s boxing as far back as 2022. Regardless of his cautionary stance, he accuses the IOC of not taking any corrective action. He stated, “The saddest thing in the story is that the problem was not with the level of Helif’s testosterone, because it can be adjusted nowadays, but with the result of the gender test, which clearly revealed that the Algerian boxer is biologically male.”

In addition to this, Kovacs outlined that five boxers including Khelif underwent testing by the International Boxing Association (IBA), all were found to be biologically male. Despite presenting these findings to the IOC, he expressed dissatisfaction over their failure to respond or take meaningful action.

Emphasizing Equity

Kovacs’ concerns are primarily based on Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori who is set to face off against Khelif. Pointing out her potential vulnerability in battling an opponent with biological advantages, Kovacs remarked: “Hamori was simply not trained for this.” Sadly enough, Hamori was defeated by Khelif in a match on Saturday.

Mária Kovács, former women’s world champion, also voiced her apprehension regarding the growing risk of serious injuries like testicular injuries in women’s boxing matches due to this unusual situation.

Ongoing Controversy

The Paris Olympics were embroiled in further controversy when an individual referred to as a “biological man” won an Olympic boxing match against a considerably smaller and less powerful woman in under a minute. Angela Carini, an Italian boxer who competed against Khelif, conceded after just 46 seconds, cast her helmet onto the ground and cried out, “This is unjust!”

Refusing to shake hands with Khelif and visibly upset after receiving two forceful punches to the head from her Algerian competitor, Carini informed journalists that she had never been hit so hard before and was in too much pain to continue.

In another incident, Lin Yu-Ting, a Taiwanese boxer previously disqualified from the 2023 Women’s Boxing World Championships for not meeting gender eligibility criteria, clinched victory over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova at the Paris Olympics. The IBA has stated that these athletes hold competitive advantages over their female counterparts.

Despite the brewing controversy, the IOC defended its position by asserting that all athletes participating in the boxing tournament comply with eligibility regulations based on their passports. They added that these rules have been uniformly applied during qualification events across various international competitions. They declared, “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”

Source: The Gateway Pundit

h/t: Steadfast Nation