PARIS, France – Algeria’s Imane Khelif, the boxer at the center of a gender dispute, beat Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in the women’s 66kg semifinals in the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, August 6 (Wednesday, August 7 Manila time), to progress to the gold-medal match at Roland Garros.

Khelif, a silver medalist in the 2022 World Championships, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been in the spotlight at the Olympics as part of a storm that has dominated headlines and been the subject of much discussion on social media platforms.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the International Boxing Association from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi, India, with the body saying in a shambolic press conference on Monday, August 5, that a sex chromosome test had ruled both of them ineligible.

At those World Championships, Khelif beat Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in the semifinals before being disqualified. Suwannapheng competed in the final after Khelif’s disqualification and won silver.

Khelif and Lin are competing in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of its status as the sport’s governing body in 2023 and took control of organizing the boxing in Paris.

The IOC has rejected the results of the IBA-ordered tests as arbitrary and illegitimate, saying there was no reason to conduct them.

At these Games, the IOC is using boxing eligibility rules that were applied in the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, which do not include gender testing.

Fan support

Algerian fans flocked into a repurposed Court Philippe Chatrier, devoid of its iconic red clay, looking to support Khelif and screamed “Imane, Imane, Imane” ahead of the bout, while also booing Suwannapheng on entry.

In a cautious first round, both boxers attempted to keep their distance and engaged sparingly, but Khelif used her jab to better effect than her Thai opponent.

Suwannapheng connected with a big right hand in the second, but the rangy Algerian’s excellent technique allowed her to keep landing shots and sweep the judges’ scorecards.

Khelif threw caution to the wind and went after Suwannapheng in the final round, peppering her with jarring shots to claim the win by unanimous decision.

Both boxers touched gloves in a sign of respect after the fight, and when Khelif was announced as winner, a deafening roar erupted from the fans in attendance.

Khelif waited until her opponent left the ring before celebrating, jogging on the spot with an enormous grin on her face before leaving and shadow-boxing her way to the doctor’s station for a quick medical check.

Khelif will face Yang Liu of China in the final on Friday, August 9.

Lin also reached the semifinals in the featherweight category, where she will take on Turkey’s Esra Yildiz on Wednesday.

The storm surrounding Khelif and Lin erupted when the Algerian’s opponent Angela Carini pulled out of their round of 16 bout last week after just 46 seconds, saying she felt intense pain and feared for her safety after being hit with a barrage of punches.

In the aftermath of Carini’s withdrawal, the gender furore swept social media, with people such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Tesla founder Elon Musk voicing their opposition to the two boxers competing at the Games.

Following the bout, Italian Carini apologized to Khelif and said she did not harbor any ill feeling toward the Algerian. – Rappler.com