Gender row at Paris Olympics: Italian boxer Carini apologises to Khelif

Italian boxer Angela Carini has apologised to her Algerian opponent Imane Khelif after a massive gender controversy erupted at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024.

Carini was in tears after abandoning her boxing bout against Khelif in just 46 seconds on Thursday (August 1). She also refused to shake hands with Khelif, who has been accused of “being a biological male” and competing in the women’s category at the Paris Olympics.

After Carini quit her bout, there was massive support for her on social media. Many including political leaders like former US President Donald Trump rallied around Carini and hit out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for “allowing male boxers” in the women’s section.

Now, Carini has said sorry to Khelif and added that the controversy surrounding her bout makes her “sad”.

“All this controversy makes me sad… I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision,” Carini told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, according to a report in BBC.

She also reflected on not shaking hands with Khelif. “It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini said. “Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.”

Carini said she would “embrace her” if she met Khelif again in a boxing competition.

Khelif, 25, is participating in the 66kg category, and 28-year-old Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting, is fighting in the 57kg section in Paris.

The two female boxers were disqualified at the 2023 world championships after being judged to have failed gender eligibility tests.

Both finished outside the medals at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

The 28-year-old Lin is a two-time world gold medallist and the 25-year-old Khelif won a silver at the 2022 tournament.

Both were removed from their competitions in New Delhi last year at the world championships, run by the International Boxing Association (IBA) which has been banished from Olympic boxing since before the Tokyo Games.

After the controversy on Thursday, IOC issued a statement saying it is “saddened by the abuse” the two boxers were receiving.

“The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving,” the IOC said. “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”

On July 29, the IOC had defended the two boxers’ participation at the Paris Olympics.

“All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations,” the IOC had said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)