Boxer with controversial gender speaks out on retirement rumors at 26

Boxer Imane Khelif has spoken out to clarify rumors that she has retired.

Imane Khelif causes controversy over his sexuality - Photo: REUTERS

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has insisted she is not retiring, accusing her former manager of betraying her by spreading false rumours that she had quit fighting.

The 1999-born boxer, who has been embroiled in a gender controversy, will not be competing in the upcoming World Championships after the gender testing regulations were implemented. Rumors of her retirement arose from comments made by Nasser Yesfah, who used to represent Khelif, to the French newspaper Nice Matin .

However, Khelif quickly denied it. On her personal Facebook page, she wrote: "I want to clarify to the public that the information about my retirement is false. Yesfah has betrayed my trust and the country's trust with false and malicious statements. This person no longer represents me in any form," she affirmed.

Khelif says she remains committed to her sporting career. She still trains regularly and maintains her fitness in preparation for upcoming events.

Khelif is one of two boxers at the centre of a gender status storm at the 2024 Paris Olympics, along with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting.

Both won gold medals at the Olympics after being cleared to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified them from competing in the World Championships for not meeting gender criteria.

Following the Olympics, the new governing body, World Boxing, confirmed that boxers would have to undergo mandatory gender testing to compete in their events. The new rules require athletes to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and be eligible to compete.

According to Daily Mail, Khelif has not registered to participate in the World Championships taking place in Liverpool (UK) in September, and Algeria will send another boxer instead. Meanwhile, Lin Yu-ting plans to participate and comply with the new testing rules.

Imane Khelif has appeared in a rather feminine look recently - Photo: REUTERS

Khelif also skipped a comeback event a few weeks after the new rules were announced. Despite the challenges, Khelif has remained resilient. She recently shared pictures of her new look, wearing makeup and long hair on TV.

On the one-year anniversary of her Olympic gold medal, Khelif also made a cryptic post on Instagram, admitting that she was going through a difficult time but still asserting her fighting spirit and expressing her determination to bounce back.

THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vo-si-tranh-cai-gioi-tinh-len-tieng-truoc-tin-don-giai-nghe-o-tuoi-26-20250822081215313.htm