Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has broken her silence with a meaningful message for the public, following major gender controversy that has surrounded her recent victory over Italian fighter Angela Carini.

Imane Khelif’s journey to the Paris Olympics has sparked widespread speculation and debate

The controversy began when Carini withdrew from their match just 46 seconds into the bout, claiming that Khelif’s hits were too painful to endure.

The situation intensified when it was revealed that Khelif had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests.

International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev later stated that the tests showed Khelif had XY chromosomes.

Taiwanese boxer Lin Yi-tung also faced disqualification in 2023 for similar reasons. Regardless, both athletes were allowed to compete in the Paris Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which issued a statement defending its decision amid misinformation suggesting they were transgender.

Khelif, 25, spoke out after her recent win against Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori, urging an end to the ‘bullying’ that many athletes experience.

In a message delivered in Arabic to SNTV, she stated, “I appeal to every person around the world to honor the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, and to stop bullying athletes of all kinds because it has profound effects. This sort of behavior can wreck lives and minds, and sow division among people.”

Khelif expressed concerns over the toll such baseless comments could have on her loved ones, noting that she communicates with her family ‘two days a week.’