Imane Khelif announces huge news after controversial boxing star won gold at Paris Olympics
Imane Khelif has revealed she will become a professional boxer, having won gold at the Paris Olympics earlier this year
REUTERS
Imane Khelif has revealed she will become a professional boxer, having won gold at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
The 25-year-old secured the medal despite facing scrutiny over her gender, with the Algerian athlete unhappy at the way she was portrayed in large sections of the media.
The row started when Khelif, who previously took part at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, forced Italy's Angela Carini to quit their opening match after just 46 seconds.
Carini said her opponent's power was too much to take.
Imane Khelif has revealed she will become a professional boxer, having won gold at the Paris Olympics earlier this yearREUTERSUnsubstantiated claims over Khelif's gender then spread on social media, with the likes of JK Rowling and Donald Trump chiming in.
Khelif later said that attacks over her gender were 'cruel'.
She even filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's X after the billionaire had reposted a tweet from Riley Gaines saying to keep men out of women's sports.
Yet Khelif, speaking on Sunday, has now revealed she'll be going pro.
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"I would like to hold a press conference today to share with you my success story with the media family and young women who watch me," she said.
"There is a documentary being prepared about my success story and it will be shown on international platforms.
"I will soon enter the world of professional boxing, I have many offers.
"Currently, I have not made up my mind about where I will enter professional boxing.
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"But very soon I will take this step, we as Algerians would like to see our level in the field of professionalism."
Earlier this month, reports claimed that Khelif had been stripped of her gold medal.
Yet the WBO denied these 'obviously false' claims, with legal counsel Gustavo Olivier saying in a statement that they had not 'tested or banned' Khelif.
Meanwhile, speaking in August, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn claimed he was open to offer Khelif a contract in the wake of her gold medal win.
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PA“Yes, if the facts were laid out and it was in a position where there is no reason why this individual shouldn’t compete as a female," he told IFL TV.
“Yes, I would, commercially. One, she is a talented fighter. Two, commercially I think she has up to two Instagram million followers, up from 30,000, so the answer is yes.
"But there is probably facts that we don’t know are true around the situation.
“But if a fighter was deemed, you know, female with no physical advantages, but again we hear about X/Y chromosomes, and I haven’t seen anything, I’ve just seen someone say: ‘We’ve done this test.’
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PA“Do we get to see it? Or are we just going to believe that narrative?
"It’s not ever one that I’d ever go: ‘I’m not getting involved in this conversation. It’s a topical conversation.’”
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