'My Child Is A Girl...A Strong Girl': Imane Khelif's Father Rips Apart Olympics Gender Controversy

A major controversy had clouded Paris Olympics after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif who is accused of being a ‘biological male’ decimated Italy's Angela Carini as she quit their Women's 66KG boxing match inside 46 seconds and ended up in tears. 

The incident created a major row at Paris Olympics, as people on social media and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the events. However, Imane Khelif's father Omar Khelif has recently come out and ripped apart all the doubters questioning her daughter's gender and legitimacy. 

Imane Khelif's father rips apart people questioning her daughter's gender

There has been a lot of hatred coming the way of Imane Khelif after Angela Carini's reaction to fighting her and yelling, “This is unfair”. Many have slammed the IOC for allowing Imane Khelif to participate in the Olympics. 

However, amidst the storm, Imane Khelif's father Omar Khelif has rubbished reports of her daughter being a ‘biological male’ and said that she is a girl. 

“My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She's a strong girl. I raised her to be hard-working and brave. She has a strong will to work and to train,” said Omar Khelif to Sky News. 

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Omar Khelif further criticised Angela Carini for igniting the fire as he said that Carini lost because she was softer than his daughter. 

"The Italian opponent she faced was unable to defeat my daughter because my daughter was stronger and she was softer," said Omar Khelif. 

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Is Imane Khelif a biological male?

To label Imane Khelif as a biological male would be wrong as the fact is Imane Khelif was born a female and is socially accepted as a female. 

Imane Khelif has a condition called DSD - Differences in Sex Development. Under this condition a person's testosterone levels are increased and their chromosomes also change. 

This is the reason why Imane Khelif's chromosomes were XY and the reason behind her higher testosterone levels. Classifying people with DSD as a biological male or a biological female is incorrect. And according to IOC rules there can be no differentiations with athletes with DSD hence, Khelif is allowed to participate at Paris Olympics.