Algerian boxer Imane Khelif took a bold step in addressing global scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender in a recent cyberbullying lawsuit that name-drops Elon Musk and JK Rowling. However, as her name continues to be at the centre of an unfounded controversy in the aftermath of her golden victory in France last weekend, Khelif has now taken a swipe at former US President Donald Trump , who threw dirt on her name at a rally in Montana . In an interview in Algeria with El Birad, the 25-year-old Olympian addressed the noise head-on, stating how hurtful comments from politicians like Trump negatively impacted her.
Imane Khelif responds to Trump misidentifying her as a man “Immediately after there was a lot of noise from politicians, athletes, stars, artists – Elon Musk and Donald Trump and that hurt me a lot, I cannot describe how scared,” Khelif said. “This affected me. I'm not lying to you, it affected me a lot.
It hurt a lot. I can't describe the fear I had but thank God I was able to overcome it. Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will.
" Also read | Noah Lyles faked COVID at Olympics? NBA legend thinks so as US athlete's partying video in Paris goes viral Khelif was born and raised a woman. She and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan were subjected to a disappointing hate train as it was revealed that the boxers were disqualified during the 2023 World Championships following gender eligibility test.