Imane Khelif, Olympic welterweight champion who was in the spotlight during the Paris Games over the controversy surrounding her gender, says she is still fighting “for all women and for justice, but outside pressures create discrimination”.
The boxer, who denied her retirement, has given up the World Championships, but will continue to compete and her goal is the next Olympic Games, where she wants to defend the gold medal in Paris. “Winning that gold at the Games has given me even greater motivation: I faced many challenges to achieve this success, including harassment, and I want to keep fighting to silence those who doubt me. With my sporting achievements, my goals have grown. I want another medal and I want to help create more opportunities for women in sport,” she said in a recent interview with ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’.
I want another medal and I want to help create more opportunities for women in sport
The boxer recalled the sacrifices she had to make to reach the top of the Olympic Games. “We come from a small town and boxing was unusual for a girl in Algeria. Despite this, my mother supported me and, in time, seeing my progress, my father did too. At first, however, it was very hard, even financially. Every day, to train, I walked ten kilometers, and to earn a living, I sold bread, aluminum and iron in the street.”
At first it was very hard, even economically. To train, I walked 10 kilometers every day and to earn a living, I sold bread, aluminum and iron on the street
Regarding the controversy at the Games about her gender, the boxer said that “unfortunately what I experienced is something that other athletes have also faced in the past and even today. My experience in Paris shows that any athlete can become a victim, and what happened was very damaging, but I managed to stay focused without being influenced by the propaganda around me”.
My experience in Paris shows that any athlete can become a victim and what happened was very damaging
“As an athlete, I dedicate my whole life to training and preparation, and I respect the rules as they are written,” she said. “But when outside pressures make everything confusing, it’s easy to be subject to sudden and unfair decisions. This not only harms the athlete, but also the very spirit of the sport, which should be based on transparency and mutual respect.”
And she was optimistic about the upcoming Olympic Games. “I’m optimistic and I think the impact will be different, because the debate we started during the last Games will leave its mark,” she said.
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