Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who was at the centre of a gender row throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, is set to turn professional.
Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight event in Paris this summer, but her participation at the games had been a source of contention.
This came after she was disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2023 by the International Boxing Associations (IBA) in regards to gender eligibility rules, with it claimed that she failed a gender eligibility test.
However, Khelif insisted that she was a woman and her father even produced her birth certificate which said she was born female.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) repeatedly defended her right to compete throughout the games, while the IBA’s test results and credibility were also called into question.
Imane Khelif, who was at the centre of a gender row at the Olympics, will turn professional
Algerian boxer Khelif won gold in Paris in the women’s welterweight event this summer
Her participation at the games had been a source of contention, amid a ‘gender eligibility row’
The Russian-led body – who labelled Khelif as a ‘biological male’ – had been stripped of its governance by the IOC, with it claimed the IBA had alleged close ties to the Kremlin.
In fact, the IBA has been suspended by the IOC since 2019 because of concerns over its finances, governance, ethics, refereeing and judging.
But, despite the furore surrounding her success at the Olympics, Khelif is now set to take the next step in her burgeoning career by turning professional.
Speaking on Sunday, she said: ‘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.
‘There is a documentary being prepared about my success story and it will be shown on international platforms.
‘I will soon enter the world of professional boxing, I have many offers.
‘Currently, I have not made up my mind about where I will enter professional boxing.
‘But very soon I will take this step, we as Algerians would like to see our level in the field of professionalism.’
Speaking back in August, renowned boxing promoter Eddie Hearn had revealed he would be open to promoting Khelif.
In response to a question about whether he would consider signing the boxer, Hearn told IFL TV: ‘Yes, if the facts were laid out and it was in a position where there is no reason why this individual shouldn’t compete as a female.
‘Yes, I would, commercially. One, she is a talented fighter. Two, commercially I think she has up to two Instagram million followers, up from 30,000, so the answer is yes.
‘But there are probably facts that we don’t know are true around the situation.
Khelif insisted that she was a woman and her father even produced her birth certificate
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn revealed in August that he would be open to promoting Khelif
‘But if a fighter was deemed, you know, female with no physical advantages, but again we hear about X/Y chromosomes, and I haven’t seen anything, I’ve just seen someone say: “We’ve done this test.”
‘Do we get to see it ? Or are we just going to believe that narrative? It’s not ever one that I’d ever go: “I’m not getting involved in this conversation. It’s a topical conversation.”‘
The fallout surrounding Khelif’s participation in the Olympics, along with that of fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting, prompted outcries of fury from the author JK Rowling and Elon Musk on social media, while Donald Trump also taunted the Algerian fighter.
Nabil Boudi, Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, later revealed they opened a lawsuit that was filed to French authorities over comments made about her gender online.
No individuals have been named as defendants in the lawsuit but a number of well-known celebrities have been referenced for their social media posts.
The 25-year-old Olympic champion revealed at the time that she was ‘hurt a lot’ by intense scrutiny of her gender and questioned the intentions of those who she believes have harassed her.
‘But immediately after there was a big uproar from big politicians around the world, athletes around the world, and even artists and stars, Elon Musk, Trump.. this thing….. that affected me,’ she told El Birad.
‘I am not lying to you, it affected me. It affected me a lot, hurt me a lot. I can’t describe to you the amount of fear I had.
Khelif previously opened up on the major impact of the intense scrutiny on her gender
Khelif’s success was widely celebrated by Algeria, and she even met the country’s president
‘The scenario was very scary. Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will,’ she added.
‘Honestly, I don’t like to get into politics in sports, but they got into politics in sports. Sports and politics are two separate things. These politicians who are oppressing me, they don’t have the right to say that I’m a transgender.’
Khelif’s success in the women’s 66kg category at the Paris Games was widely celebrated by Algeria, with the boxer given the honour of carrying her nation’s flag at the closing ceremony, while she also met Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
