Olympic boxer Imane Khelif calls for end to bullying, says it destroys people

In an interview, the Algerian athlete talks about her tumultuous Olympic experience, hopes the crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response

Paris: Olympic boxer Imane Khelif said the wave of hateful scrutiny she has faced over misconceptions about her gender “harms human dignity,” and she called for an end to bullying athletes after being greatly affected by the international backlash against her.

The Algerian athlete spoke about her tumultuous Olympic experience on Sunday night in an interview. “I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif said in Arabic.

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“It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.” The victories of Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan in the ring in Paris have become one of the biggest stories of the Paris Games.

Both women have clinched their first Olympic medals even as they have faced online abuse based on unsubstantiated claims about their gender, drawing them into a wider divide over changing attitudes toward gender identity and regulations in sports.

The 25-year-old Khelif acknowledged the pressure and pain of enduring this ordeal while competing far from home in the most important event of her athletic career. “I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply,” she said.

“They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.” The vitriol stems from claims by the International Boxing Association, which has been permanently banned from the Olympics, that both Khelif and Lin failed unspecified eligibility tests for the women’s competition at last year’s world championships.

Khelif declined to answer when asked whether she had undergone tests other than doping tests, saying she didn’t want to talk about it. She expressed gratitude to the International Olympic Committee and its president, Thomas Bach, for standing resolutely behind her while the banned former governing body of Olympic boxing stoked a furor around her participation in Paris.

“I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice, and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth,” she said. She also has seen massive support at her bouts, drawing cheers when she enters the arena and crowds waving Algerian flags chanting her first name. She will fight again Tuesday in the women’s 66-kilogram semifinals at Roland Garros.

Khelif repeatedly made clear she won’t allow chatter or accusations to deter her from attempting to claim Algeria’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing. “I don’t care about anyone’s opinion,” Khelif said a day after beating Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary.