- Imane Khelif is switching to pro boxing despite issues concerning her true gender
- The Olympic gold medalist has yet to pick a promotion for her transition to pro boxing
Imane Khelif is making a transition to professional boxing despite the ongoing controversy regarding her true gender.
Turning pro
Months after capturing the gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Khelif is now switching to pro boxing. According to the Algerian boxer, she has received several offers from promoters but has yet to decide which one to pick.
“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. 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. But very soon I will take this step, we as Algerians would like to see our level in the field of professionalism,” Khelif said in a recent press conference.
Talksport’s Michael Benson later confirmed the report, while noting that despite the big news, Khelif is still dealing the controversy of her gender identity.
“Imane Khelif has declared that she is now set to turn professional and is currently weighing up many offers from different promoters. Khelif was at the centre of a gender eligibility dispute before winning gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” Benson wrote.
https://x.com/MichaelBensonn/status/1848322635802738873
Khelif’s gender is still a puzzle
Back in 2022, Khelif, as well as Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting reportedly failed the gender eligibility test conducted by the International Boxing Association for the 2023 World Championships. However, the International Olympic Committee cleared the pair which made them eligible for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The IBA insisted that both Khelif and Yu-ting are male. However, the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee defended Khelif and fired back at the IBA, pointing out that the IBA has nothing to do with Khelif and the Olympics, deeming their claim as “baseless.”
Despite being plagued by controversies, Khelif won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics after beating China’s Yang Liu in the final of the women’s welterweight division.
Some quotes via Talksport.
