Olympic women’s boxer Imane Khelif speaks out about bullying

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This Olympic boxer is sick of the jabs that she has been taking outside of the ring.

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One of the two women’s Olympic boxers at the centre of controversy over allegedly failing gender tests is speaking out about the bullying she has been suffering since the story went viral last week.

In her first extensive comments about the issue, Imane Khelif decried the questions over her gender and the hateful remarks, while calling for an end to the “bullying of all athletes.”

“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif said in an interview with SNTV in Arabic, according to the Associated Press.

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“It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”

Khelif and Lin Yu-ting have been at the centre of an online firestorm over unsubstantiated claims about their gender. The issue only was compounded after Khelif’s opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, threw in the towel 46 seconds into their bout last week, screaming how it was “unjust.”

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At the world championships last year, which was organized by the International Boxing Association, Khelif and Lin reportedly both failed a gender test and were disqualified from the competition.

The International Olympic Committee, however, ruled that both boxers were eligible to compete in Paris.

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Khelif, who was born in Algeria, has identified as a female since birth, is listed as a woman on her passport and has been competing in women’s boxing since she started in the sport.

She says that she has been leaning on her family to get through this tumultuous time.

“I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply,” she said. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.”

Khelif’s next fight is Tuesday against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng with a spot in the gold-medal match on the line.

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