Controversial Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif has filed a legal harassment complaint for being an online victim of the same during the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 25-year-old Olympic gold medalist's lawyer Nabil Boudi revealed that the complaint was lodged on Friday, with widespread questions coming over her gender as netizens alleged her of being a male.
Along with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, Khelif has been in the spotlight as debates over their gender have dominated the social media. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) came into question for allowing the Algerian to compete despite failing a gender test during the World Championships in 2023.
Notably, Italian Boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her match against Khelif only 46 seconds after it started, failing to recover from that one punch landed by the Algerian. Reputed personalities like JK Rowling and Elo Musk also backed Carini after she withdrew from the game.
Khelif said on Saturday, as quoted by Geo TV:
"All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world."
"I’m a woman like any other woman" - Imane Khelif
Khelif, who beat Lin Yu-ting to win gold in Paris, issued a strong response regarding the debates on her gender after the bout. She said, as quoted by The Guardian:
"As for whether I qualify or not, whether I am a woman or not, I have made many statements in the media. I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that. [The detractors] are enemies of success, that is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks."
