Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been surrounded by controversy following her Olympics win against Italian boxer Angela Carini, with many prominent public figures questioning her gender identity.
Now, Angela is apologizing to Imane.
The controversy began earlier this week after Angela decided to quit her match against Imane after competing for less than a minute. After quitting, she didn’t shake Imane‘s hand and was seen crying as she sunk to her knees in the ring.
“I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough,’ because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I couldn’t finish the match,” Angela said moments after the match.
Imane‘s gender came into question after the match when it was revealed that she was disqualified from a world championship match in 2023 for failing an unspecified gender eligibility test. The boxer reportedly had elevated levels of testosterone. Imane has faced accusations that she was born male and transitioned to female, but she was assigned female at birth and also lives in a country where it’s illegal to transition.
So, what did Angela say in her new comments?
Keep reading to find out more…
“All this controversy makes me sad,” she said, according to the Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport (via AP). “I’m sorry for my opponent, too. … If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”
Angela said she left the match because “my face and nose were hurting. I couldn’t breathe anymore. I thought about my family, I looked at my brother in the stands and I went to my corner to retire … I’ve never been hit with such a powerful punch.”
Angela regrets not shaking Imane‘s hand.
“It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini said. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else… I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke,” she continued. “I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her.”
