Gender storm: Former sparring partner fuels controversy over Khelif
Controversies surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's gender seem never-ending. Her former sparring partner, Joana Nwamerue, decided to speak up. Her words are unlikely to please the 2024 Olympic gold medallist.
During the 2024 Olympic Games, there was no shortage of controversies. One involved Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, and it all began after her first fight. She needed only 46 seconds to defeat Angela Carini, as the Italian gave up the fight.
The situation garnered attention when Khelif reached the finals of the 2023 World Championships and was disqualified by the IBA. The International Boxing Association cited high levels of testosterone in her body.
The Algerian became an Olympic champion during the competitions in Paris. However, the dispute over her gender led her to file a complaint with the prosecutor's office, involving well-known individuals such as J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk.
Someone who had the opportunity to train with Khelif may soon join this group. Bulgarian-Nigerian boxer Joana Nwamerue, her sparring partner, spoke out.
- Khelif has some internal problems. But she is a man. I will stick to my words until he/she undergoes a test to prove to the world that she is a woman. But we all know that won't happen. (...) I think we had three to four sparring sessions. I have a record of everything. For me, he is a man. Male strength. Male techniques, everything - confessed Nwamerue, as quoted by the online magazine "Reduxx".
- Members of her team came to me and said: 'Imane is not a man. She is a woman, she just lives high in the mountains with her relatives, so there might have been changes in her testosterone, chromosomes, and things like that'. My coach and I thought that was impossible. There are people living in the mountains everywhere. It's absurd - she added.
