Olympics gender row boxer Imane Khelif demands people 'refrain from bullying' amid storm over her sex By Shekhar Bhatia and Nick Fagge In Paris Published: 12:08, 5 August 2024 | Updated: 12:17, 5 August 2024 e-mail View comments Gender row boxer Imane Khelif has said the storm that has descended on her over her sex amounts to bullying and could 'destroy' people. The 25-year-old woman boxer from Algeria has been at the centre of an intense row as critics slammed the Olympics for allowing her involvement in Paris after she was banned from a major boxing competition last year for failing gender eligibility tests. She has reached the semi-finals of her competition and has secured a bronze medal, at least, much to the frustration of her critics who say she should not have been allowed to participate at the Olympics.
But Khelif has fought in the Olympics before in Tokyo and her appearance there passed without fuss and only became a problem after she was one of two boxers vetoed by the World Championships in New Delhi. The 25-year-old woman boxer from Algeria has been at the centre of an intense row Angela Carini of Italy (right) lasted only 46 seconds against the Algerian boxer (left) Imane Khelif of Team Algeria celebrates victory against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary Italy 's Angela Carini,25, dropped to her knees in tears after losing the fight against Imane Khelif Read More BREAKING NEWS Olympics gender row boxer Imane Khelif bursts into tears and declares 'I am a woman' Ask.