Controversial Olympic champion, Imane Khelif, has her a post praising her parents after a leaked medical report suggested the boxer is a biological male.
Khelif, who claimed gold for Algeria at the Paris Games last summer, became the center of a bitterstorm once again this week when it emerged that a 2023 medical test allegedly indicated she carried male chromosomes.
The document, seen by 3 Wire Sports via Telegraph Sport, states: ‘Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype.’
The reported leak came less than two days after World Boxing had ruled the boxer would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in female events.
Amid the reignited gender row, Khelif broke cover in an Instagram post shared on Monday. However, the sporting star refused to acknowledge the furor surrounding the alleged chromosome analysis and instead focused on her role as a Unicef ambassador.
The post, celebrating Unicef’s ‘Global Day of Parents,’ featured a photo of Khelif in a blue polo bearing the organization’s logo as she formed a heart with her hands.
In the lengthy caption, she paid tribute to her own parents for supporting and standing by her.
‘Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago,’ she began.
‘When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big. When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me.
‘Being a parent isn’t easy. There’s no manual. But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything.
‘On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to every parent who chooses, every single day, to be there for their children.
‘Together with @unicefalgerie, I’m celebrating these everyday heroes.
Because when parents are supported, children can dream and succeed.’
Khelif, along with Taiwan ‘s Lin Yu-ting , had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships run by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the former governing body for the sport.
The IBA had claimed Khelif and Lin had failed gender eligibility tests, leading to their disqualification from the event.
Amid a debate over whether Lin and Khelif should be allowed to compete at the Olympics last summer, the two fighters would go on to win gold in the featherweight and welterweight events respectively.
The alleged medical test was reportedly carried out on March 17, 2023 – the same year that Khelif was disqualified by the IBA – according to the date listed on the leaked results.
The document claims to have come from Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, a laboratory which is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation.
The report was initially published by the journalist Alan Abrahamson, who first brought reports of Khelif’s alleged failed gender eligibility test to public attention at the Paris Games.
World Boxing, who are now the governing body for the sport, last week announced the introduction of mandatory sex testing for male and female boxers who want to take part in competitions.
The governing body said the testing will be part of a new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’, which it claims will a safe and competitive playing field.
