Algerian Imane Khelif, who was in the running for the final of the world amateur boxing championships in New Delhi in the -66 kg category, revealed on Saturday her disqualification due to “characteristics” preventing her from boxing with women .
Contacted by AFP, the International Boxing Federation (IBA) confirmed on Saturday evening the exclusion of Khelif for non-compliance with his eligibility criteria but, she adds, medical secrecy prevents him from communicating the specific reasons for this decision.
“The IBA respects its rules and regulations as well as the personal and medical privacy of its athletes, the violation of the eligibility criteria cannot therefore be communicated by the IBA”, explains the Federation.
Algerian media have reported that a hormonal test carried out on the 23-year-old boxer revealed too high a level of testosterone in her body.
“I unfortunately heard yesterday (Friday) that I could not participate in the final. I was told that I had characteristics that mean that I cannot box with women, ”said the boxer in a video posted on her Facebook page.
“It’s a big conspiracy,” she adds without providing any supporting evidence. “People conspired against Algeria so that this (Algerian) flag would not be hoisted and the gold medal would not go to them. »
In a message posted on Facebook, the Algerian Olympic Committee announces “that it will take charge of the medical support of the champion Imane Khelif and will support her preparations for the African qualifying tournament for the Paris-2024 Olympic Games, which will take place in Dakar, capital of Senegal, in August 2023”.
He does not say more about the form that this “medical support” will take. For the final, Imane Khelif was replaced in the final by Thai Janjaem Suwannapheng.
